Almeida strike sees Valencia edge past Granada and closer to European places
Looking unlikely to repeat the miracle of 2014/15 - which saw Granada survive relegation by the skin of their teeth with current manager Jose Ramon Sandoval at the helm - the hosts had the first sight of goal with top scorer (nine) Myrto Uzuni forcing a smart save from Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Gerard Gumbau came even closer to breaking the deadlock not long after, as the returning midfield maestro beat the visiting Georgian goalkeeper, but not the frame of the goal with an audacious dipping long-range effort.
Mamardashvili’s baptism of fire at the Nuevo Estadio Los Carmenes carried on in a one-sided attacking showpiece as on-loan Manchester United man Facundo Pellistri stung his palms with a fiercely-struck strike from just inside the area.
Frustratingly for Sandoval’s side, they were forced to return to the dressing room for half time without anything to show for their endeavours.
After registering just one shot on target after almost an hour of play, Valencia manager Ruben Baraja was the first to call upon his substitutes bench as Almeida and Jesus Vazquez entered the fray for the remainder of the contest - with the latter missing a glorious opportunity to give Los Ches the lead in the 73rd minute.
In search of only his second-ever goal for the club, the defender - who has been at the club since the age of five - could only inexplicably direct his rebounded effort high into the stands.
However, the Spaniard’s blushes were spared four minutes later, as Baraja’s substitutions did the trick with Almeida’s sublimely-struck half-volley flying past Augusto Batalla on its way into the back of the net to signal the match-winner.
The victory extends Valencia's unbeaten record to six matches against sides currently in the relegation zone, and in turn, closes the gap on sixth-placed Real Sociedad to five points.
Meanwhile, Grenada remain on course for an immediate return to LaLiga2 after celebrating only two victories from 30 matches throughout a forgettable campaign for Los Nazaries.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Andre Almeida (Valencia)
