How Valencia bounced back to find themselves in a three-horse race for the La Liga crown
Marcelino Garcia Toral's side are in a straight battle to win the Spanish top flight, along with Barcelona and Real Madrid
“I’m too old for this,” claimed Valencia coach Marcelino after witnessing his side’s breathless 6-3 win at Real Betis on Saturday.
But Marcelino had better get used to it.
Four points behind leaders Barcelona in second and a point ahead of title holders Real Madrid, La Liga’s surprise package continue to do just that.
It has been 13 long years since Los Che last won the title – their sixth – under the now-Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez.
Since then the only major honour they’ve won was the Copa del Rey in 2008.
It’s been a period of struggle for the club, on and off the field, with austerity hitting hard.
The high-profile appointment of former Manchester United defender-turned-Sky pundit Gary Neville in 2015 drew attention to the club’s plight.
Neville was just one of 11 men to have the hot-seat since current Southampton coach Mauricio Pellegrino left in 2012.
But things are back on track in spectacular fashion... our friends at Football Whispers look at how Valencia have found themselves in a three-horse title race.
Real Madrid’s bad start
Winning five of your first eight league fixtures would be a good way to open the new campaign for most clubs. Not so Real Madrid.
Zinedine Zidane’s side, without talisman Cristiano Ronaldo for their first five games of the season, are in third place.
Los Blancos have struggled at home in particular where they have suffered their only loss – 1-0 to Real Betis – and won just one of four fixtures.
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A 2-2 draw against Valencia in their first home game of the season was only secured when Marco Asensio levelled seven minutes from time to spare the hosts’ blushes.
Things look to be back on track now with three consecutive wins but in such a hotly-contested title race any slip ups can make a big difference.
With Barcelona unbeaten in their first eight games under Ernesto Valverde, winning seven, Real have some catching up to do and that has allowed Valencia to nip in.
Simone Zaza’s form
The Italian striker is remembered for two things; his awful penalty for the Azzurri at Euro 2016 and his equally bad stint at West Ham last season.
Though Hammers fans will have tried to erase any memory of that from their minds.
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Signed on loan from Juventus, Zaza failed to score in 11 games in all competitions and the Hammers were one more appearance away from having to spend €20m to make his move permanent.
Zaza was left out of Slaven Bilic’s side instead and in January saw the rest of the loan taken on by Valencia.
He scored six times in 20 outings for Los Che before the end of the season and joined for £15m over the summer.
This term the former Sampdoria and Sassuolo hitman has seven in as many starts.
That makes him Valencia’s leading scorer and a big part of the reason they are riding high in second.
Goals, goals, goals
But it’s not just Zaza who is finding the back of the net for fun, those around him are also getting in on the act.
Valencia have scored 21 times in eight La Liga fixtures so far and only Barcelona, with 24 goals, have netted more frequently.
The chaotic 6-3 win at Betis went a long way to enhancing that figure, as did the 5-0 thrashing of Malaga last month.
What will concern Marcelino is the fact they’ve conceded ten times already, more than the rest of the top seven. But if nothing else, Valencia are an entertaining watch.
Good recruitment
Recent years have not been kind to Valencia.
The six-time La Liga winners and two-time Champions League runners-up have been hamstrung financially and the turnover in head coaches has hardly helped.
However, the appointment of former Villarreal and Sevilla coach Marcelino was a coup and owner Peter Lim has handed the 52-year-old a healthy transfer kitty.
The former midfielder has wasted no time in rebuilding the spine of his side.
On top of Zaza, Valencia have signed Juventus keeper Neto – a Watford transfer target – as well as Arsenal centre-back Gabriel.
Jeison Murillo and Geoffrey Kondogbia have joined on loan from Inter Milan while Manchester United prospect Andreas Pereira has shone since moving a season-long move.
All of which has seen Valencia finally moving in the right direction.
At the end of November Los Che host leaders Barcelona at the Mestalla – that will be a true test of their credentials.
