RCD Espanyol vs Valencia CF Match Preview

RCD Espanyol vs Valencia CF Match Preview

Stadium: Estadi Cornellà-El Prat

Date: 24.08.2013; 21:00 CET

2nd matchday, La Liga

Coaches: Javier Aguirre and Miroslav Djukic

RCD Espanyol

Espanyol are coming to this match after a 2-2 draw away from home against Celta Vigo in which Espanyol came back after a 2-0 goal deficit to manage a draw and go home with one point from their first match of the season.

They will be looking to secure all three points at home against Valencia CF and move into the top positions of the table, enabling them a positive start to the season and one up their opponents in what would likely be a fight in the middle of the table, similarly to last season.

Their team has gone through several changes, most notably Jordi Amat moving to Swansea and Juan Forlin to Al-Rayyan which brought about 6 million euros to the club. I think its safe to say that the club is at the same strength as last season, when Valencia CF won the first match and then drew 3-3 in the second match, which was a crucial draw that prevented Valencia CF being in a better position to qualify for the Champions League.

Technical Details RCD Espanyol (probable setups):

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Line-up: Kiko; Lopez, Colotto, Moreno, Fuentes; Victor, David Lopez; Stuani, Pizzi, Simao; Sergio.

Tactics: Medium defensive line, own third pressure, high frequency wing attacks, crossing, counter attacks.

Valencia CF

Valencia CF on the other hand are coming to this match after a hard fought minimal victory against Malaga CF in which Ricardo Costa scored the only winning goal, after a mistake from Malaga's goalkeeper. It was a lucky win that could have resulted in a boring goalless draw, but luck was on Valencia's side and the team managed to secure all three points to have a positive start to the new season.

This time the team will want to win more convincingly, especially against a team like Espanyol that hasn't strengthened and you can even argue has weakened compared to last season. Of course all Spanish matches are difficult and hard to predict as there are always surprises, referee mistakes, so its still going to be a hard match, but I expect Valencia to do a lot more and be more effective. 

Miroslav Djukic said that he was pleased with the play somewhat in the last match, but said the team must improve and to become less predictable and have more width, which of course last match it lacked as Viera and Fede were cutting inside often and there was lack of penetration on the wings, but they are that type of players and if he wants more width, someone like Viera and Fede can't really play. 

For the match against Espanyol there are no injured players I believe, no suspensions, so last time I checked everyone was available, so it will be interesting who will start in the match, will it be the same squad from last match against Malaga or will the coach change things up? One thing for sure is that Fede and Paco are not in the squad, while Parejo is in the squad, which actually makes the team a bit too heavy in the central area even more so that last match. We really lack a wide player, with basically only Guardado technically being one.

Valencia CF squad:

Goalkeepers: Diego Alves, Vicente Guaita

Defenders: Joao Pereira, Adil Rami, R.Costa, Jeremy Mathieu, Juan Bernat

Midfielders: Romeu, Javi Fuego, Parejo, Michel, Banega, Feghouli, Guardado, Canales, Viera

Forwards: Jonas, Postiga

Technical Details Valencia CF (probable setups):

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Line-up: Alves; Joao, Rami, R. Costa, Bernat; Fuego, Michel, FEghouli; Banega, Viera; Jonas.

Tactics: High defensive line, own half pressure, medium frequency wing attacks, mixed passing, high pressure

Result Prediction:

RCD Espanyol 0-2 Valencia CF

There is no doubt that at best Espanyol is the same strength as last season and while Valencia CF sold Roberto Soldado and are theoretically weaker in attack, the squad has more depth and we are packed in the midfield, so technically we are stronger than last season, so I expect a solid 2-0 victory for Valencia CF. I think that any other result would be a real disappointment and the team needs to show that it can win comfortably and on its own terms, otherwise it just creates more doubt over the quality of the team and the players need to prove that they are top level and that they can challenge for Champions League football and this is why a good, solid 2-0 win over Espanyol is so important. 

Salvo declares open season for Guaita

Valencia CF president Salvo declared open season on Vicente Guaita after the goalkeeper revealed he is unhappy being a substitute at Valencia CF and wants to leave. While Arsenal have backed off due to the 20 million euros asking price by Valencia CF, the club have now called for offers to come in for Guaita as the club is ready to sell him at even lower price.

The club is going to listen any offers of 15 million euros and above, though with Arsenal backing off, its unclear if there is going to be any such high offers as the goalkeeper market is quite saturated and not valued as much these days, not to mention that clubs from Spain are mostly bankrupt and Italian clubs are cutting their expenses significantly as well, so the only big offers can come from England, but most clubs already have standard goalkeepers.

Going with this story is also coach Djukic who had a meeting with the players to remind them that matters of playing time, transfers and the like are not a public matter and that the players need to respect the club, their own teammates and the coach and to prove themselves on the field if they want to play.

Arsenal agent meets with angry Guaita

As mentioned several times before, our club is blessed with two great goalkeepers and the there was a long-standing debate on who should start between the two, Diego Alves or Guaita. When the new coach took over, he tested both keepers and chose Diego Alves as the first team keeper as was seen against Malaga. A few days ago, Guaita expressed he would like to renew for Valencia and would fight for his spot. Now reports have come in that he left the Malaga match angry due to his role as a substitute. He has now reportedly refused to renew. Arsenal are looking to capitalize on that and according to Superdeporte have sent an agent to Valencia to discuss the goalkeeper. This happens however, a short while before the transfer deadline of August 31st. If the transfer does go through, we'll be left with one goalkeeper with little time or budget to get a solid replacement. The replacement will therefore be of a much lower skill level than Guaita whether he is bought or promoted from the Mestalla B team. Valencia's position is that they do not want to sell except if an "irresistible" offer was to come in. Most reports say that Valencia will only sell for his buyout clause (about 30 million).

From what I have seen in the pre-season, Diego Alves deservedly got picked as the first-team keeper. He has impressed more in my opinion. However, if Guaita does move he will have to compete with two other keepers, Szczesny and Fabianski. As such, even though Arsenal will compete in the Champions League, the transfer does not seem like a good move for Guaita. I don't want Guaita to leave of course. Despite not wanting to have a player who complains all the time and who has lost commitment, he does have many good qualities. When the goalkeeper gets injured at any club, they usually are in trouble since their back-up is of lower quality. However, we don't have to worry about that. Plus, Guaita is a home-grown player thus making him a fan-favorite and is one of the captains of the club. Hopefully, this is just something that can be settled quickly so that the team can focus on their game. After all, between three competitions there is more than enough time for everyone to play.

Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!

Valencia CF 1-0 Malaga CF Match Report

Valencia CF 1-0 Malaga CF

Goals: Ricardo Costa

Possession: 64%-36%

Valencia CF won its first match of the new 2013/14 season against the significantly weakened Malaga CF in what was a grind of a match with low amount of chances, low amount of shots and barely one goal.

The match started with Valencia CF taking control of the ball and mostly controlling possession with Fede having an early run through the right wing as well as some try hard balls from Ever Banega that mostly just ended up giving the ball away to Malaga.

Since the start the match looked as it will be a long and drawn out affair with little to no goals as at about 20 minutes of playing time there were barely few forward forays by Valencia CF and even fewer by Malaga, with most of the play happening in the midfield and Valencia CF at one point controlling 68% percent of the ball possession. All that possession and there would be nothing to show for, with Joao Pereira being the most dangerous person and trying some crosses and penetrations on the right.

On the left side of the pitch Viera wasn't having any better time either, with only forward array and a try at a shot, but not much else. Ever Banega was trying out some really hopeful passes and plays that mostly ended up giving the ball away. 

The one bright spot for Valencia CF was Mitchel though as he was very cool, collected, very energetic and orchestrating play from the middle of the field, moving a bit more backward and more forward as it was needed and always being available to accept a pass. Javi Fuego was mostly sitting deeper and was the anchor from defense who then mostly provided simple and short passes, usually to Banega or Michel. 

Second half wasn't very different, although Valencia CF would have more chances, particularly through Helder Postiga who would fail to convert two decent opportunities, both from close range and both times he was either unable to reach the ball or just barely touch it. One of the best opportunities came when Joao crossed the ball from the right wing to Postiga, but this one was unable to quite reach the ball. 

The first goal would come after a big mistake by Malaga's goalkeeper Willy who completely missed the ball in the air, allowing the ball to basically fall to Ricardo Costa's feet and he was able to score. Very lucky goal and Valencia CF should be very happy to get it, since the game was destined to finish in a draw.

Overall not much happened even after the goal, with Valencia CF having the incentive and trying to score a second goal, but the chances were few and far between and everything was going wrong for Postiga, even having the referee award fouls by him when he didn't touch any player or the ball, so overall he was having a difficult time and wasn't likely to score.

Technical Details:
Valencia CF (1): Diego Alves; Joao Pereira, Rami, Ricardo Costa, Bernat; Javi Fuego, Míchel, Banega (Canales, m. 85); Fede (Feghouli, m. 66), Viera (Guardado, m. 78) and Postiga.
Málaga CF (0): Willy Caballero; Jesús Gámez, Chen, Angeleri, Antunes; Tissone, Morales (Anderson, m. 70), Darder (Sebas Fernández, m. 80); Duda (Samuel, m. 70), Fabrice and Santa Cruz.
Goals: 64min. 1-0;  Ricardo Costa

Player Ratings:

Alves 6 - Pretty much a spectator for most of the match, he was required to catch several balls, but those were easy balls and he had no problems dealing with it.

Joao 6.5 - Very active in attack and was awarded the space as Malaga was on the back foot for most of the match, so he was able to combine well with Fede and provide few crosses into the penalty area.

Rami 5 - Not a very secure performance, failed to block twice that I counted and against a better opposition would have been punished.

R. Costa 6.5 - Good defensively, albeit had one pretty big mistake, but scored the sole goal for Valencia CF, securing the win.

Bernat 6 - Impressive debut at left back by Bernat, somewhat reserved going forward, but on the few occasions showed quality and was generally secure at the back.

Fuego 5.5 - Wasn't of too much notice, mostly basic short passing and securing the space defensively.

Michel 7 - Very impressive performance and he was the engine for Valencia CF this evening, everything starting from him. He was also solid defensively, overshadowing Fuego in that department as well.

Fede 5.5 - Energetic performance by the youngster and tried some things on the wing, but mostly failed, so he started cutting inside which was okay, but not too effective.

Banega 5 - Sloppy performance by the Argentinian with some try-hard passes in the first half that failed bad, improved performance in the second half, but he was mostly bullied off the ball every time he got it.

Viera 6 - Not the most remarkable performance by any means, but he did have two or three solo runs that were dangerous and fairly impressive. Linked decently with Bernat, Michel and Banega, though still leaves much to be desired.

Postiga 5 - Fairly anonymous performance and the few times he was in the spotlight he failed to get the touch or position to make it work and possibly score a goal.

Subs:

Feghouli 5 - Got involved in the action, had two good opportunities, but he scrambled them both with bad decision on how to proceed and what to do.

Guardado 5 - Didn't have much time to showcase anything.

Canales N/A - Not enough time, though he did provide one great pass from the right to Postiga I believe, but the striker failed to score.

Valencia CF vs Malaga CF Match Preview

Valencia CF vs Malaga CF

Stadium: Mestalla

Date: 17.08.2013; 23:00 CET

1st matchday, La Liga

Coaches: Miroslav Djukic and Bernd Schuster

The preseason is over and in several hours Valencia's new season will begin against Malaga CF who unlike last season are significantly weakened with some of their key players leaving, as well as manager Mauricio Pellegrini leaving to Manchester City. 

Valencia CF

Valencia CF are coming to this match after a satisfactory preseason that started off very slow, but it build up steam and ended up being very positive with good football to watch and the results to back it up. Now is the serious test though and Valencia CF is looking to recoup after last season and recapture a spot in the Champions League which it missed out on last season.

In the preseason though Valencia CF ended up losing 3 and drawing one match in the first 4 games in a row, before rectifying the situation against Inter Milan which was beaten by 4 goals to nil, then a small 1-0 victory over Everton to capture the 5th position in the International Champions Cup.

As far as transfer go Valencia CF sold Tino Costa, Nelson Valdez, Gago and Roberto Soldado, not renewing Albelda's contract and bringing in Michel who was a Valencia CF player, but sold to Levante, then bringing Oriol Romeu on loan from Chelsea FC, of course Javi Fuego came in for free as the first transfer to Valencia, then came Postiga after the selling of Soldado and last Dorlan Pabon on a 5 year contract for 7 million euros.

Valencia CF squad:

Goalkeepers: Guaita, Alves

Defenders: Joao, Ricardo Costa, Ramí, Victor Ruiz, Guardado

Midfielders: Oriol Romeu, Javi Fuego, Éver Banega, Míchel, Feghouli, Bernat, Fede, Viera, Canales

Forwards: Alcácer, Postiga

Technical Details Valencia CF (probable setups):

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Line-up: Alves; Joao, Rami, R. Costa, Guardado; Fuego, Michel, Fede; Banega, Viera; Postiga.

Tactics: High defensive line, own half pressure, medium frequency wing attacks, mixed passing, high pressure

Malaga CF

Malaga CF is a different team compared to last season and should compete somewhere in the middle of the pack. They lost all their key players from Isco, Joaquin, Toulan, Demichelis, Saviola and even few new and upcoming players. On top of that they lost Pellegrino or should I say they sold him to Manchester City and without all these players and without such a great coach I seriously doubt Malaga CF can be half as good as last season. 

I expect them to come fighting with a new coach and quite a bit new players, but I expect them to struggle quite a lot, especially in the first several matches before they are able to find their footing and stabilise.

Result Prediction:

Valencia CF 3-0 Malaga CF

Aa I've written Valencia's preseason ended up good after a slow and difficult start, while Malaga are a team in disarray with half their key players from last season gone and I expect a big and clear victory by Valencia CF and anything else will be a huge disappointment. 

Official: Dorlan Pabon signed!!

The search for a striker has taken the Valencia scouts through Spain, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Germany, Portugal and Austria. However, a few days ago, it was announced that the striker would be from South America. In fact, he was on loan at Real Betis this year and left his mark by scoring against Barcelona in the first minute. The player is 25 year-old Columbian striker Dorlan Pabón. Known for his strength, power, long range shots, and quickness, the staff at Valencia view him as the best replacement.

He currently plays for Mexican club CF Monterrey, the reigning CONCACAF Champions League champions. He scored 8 goals in 14 games for Betis, 3 goals in 4 games for Monterrey and 3 goals in 14 games for the Columbian National Team. According to reports, he was signed for 5 years for a price of around 7 million euros so he is within budget. Valencia have captured the striker 4 days from the transfer window closure on August 20th.

He is Valencia's fifth addition after Alcacer, Michel, Fuego, and Romeu. He will arrive in Valencia on Tuesday. Hopefully he will do for Valencia as his fellow Colombian, Falcao, did for Atletico. You can see him play in the video below:

Feel free to let us know what you think below :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!

Cissokho loaned to Liverpool

Liverpool have reportedly sealed a loan deal for Cissokho. The English club have paid a 1 million euro transfer fee to take the player on a season-long loan. The deal includes a purchase option valued around 4 million euros with Liverpool paying his wages for the season. Valencia coach Djukic said he is not worried about the loan move since he has plenty of quality players who can play that position (Mathieu, Guardado, Bernat). Cissokho said that while he loves being a Valencia player, he always wanted to play at Liverpool. Cissokho is the sixth player to leave the club this year after Gago, Tino Costa, Albelda, Nelson Valdez, and Soldado.

I said before that Cissokho is a quality player and I prefer his play over Guardado in that position. However, the other point I was going to mention is that even if the purchase option was 5 million euros, Liverpool have gained the player for 6 million euros total. Valencia paid 7 million to purchase the player from Lyon. Another example of losing money on players I spoke about yesterday. Anyway, good luck to player and I hope to see him back next year.

Feel free to let us know what you think below :) 

AMUNT VALENCIA!!!