Valencia into LaLiga relegation zone after Athletic defeat
In desperate need of a result to ease their concerns over a first relegation in over three decades, Valencia edged a cagey opening 15 minutes, with Edison Cavani directing a close-range header narrowly wide of Unai Simon’s right-hand post.
The Uruguayan was soon forced off through injury, but this did little to dampen the hosts’ momentum, as Samu Castillejo found the net with a deflected strike to give Valencia a crucial early lead.
Having failed to win any of their last seven LaLiga matches on the road, Bilbao knew a positive response was needed, and the visitors duly found an equaliser on the half-hour mark.
Nico Williams, a constant threat to the hosts’ backline, powered his way into the box, before finishing confidently beyond Giorgi Mamardashvili to restore parity.
Determined to regain control of proceedings before half time, Valencia came close to scoring a second, but superb goalkeeping from Simon denied both Ilaix Moriba and Samuel Lino.
Neither side proved able to assert their authority during the early stages of the second half, with a lack of cutting edge in the final third proving problematic at both ends of the pitch.
Despite seeing less of the ball, it was the hosts who looked the more threatening in front of goal, but wasteful finishing from Castillejo and Yunus Musah continued to frustrate the home faithful going into the final 20 minutes.
Valencia were left to rue those missed opportunities, as Sancet – fresh from netting a hat-trick last weekend against Cadiz - raced onto a cut-back from substitute Inaki Williams and finished coolly into the bottom-right corner.
This continued an all-too-familiar tale for the hosts, having dropped more points from winning positions than any other team in La Liga, and the result leaves Valencia entombed inside the dreaded bottom-three.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao)
