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Post by staggerstag on Feb 8, 2018 20:19:32 GMT
Suarez gave his side the advantage in the first leg and Barcelona come into this game one to the good. Their opponents currently sit third in La Liga, a point above Real Madrid.
Valencia : Jaume, Montoya, Gabriel Paulista, Garay, Gayá, Dani Parejo, Kondogbia, Coquelin, Vietto, Zaza and Rodrigo
Barcelona : Cillessen; Roberto, Piqué, Umtiti, Alba; Gomes, Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Suárez
90 mins
Valencia 15/4
Barcelona 8/13
Draw 100/30
To qualify
Valencia 7/1
Barcelona 1/12
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Post by staggerstag on Feb 8, 2018 20:36:57 GMT
It's a brisk but fine night here at Mestalla and there's a moving minute of silence before kick-off for the young teenage lad Nacho Barbera who recently collapsed while playing for UD Alzira (who are based in Valencia) and died of cardiac arrest. I think he was 13 or 14, very sad.
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Post by staggerstag on Feb 8, 2018 20:43:27 GMT
Messi drove a clean 25 yard free kick over the wall on '8 but keeper Juame dealt with it by parrying it forcefully away. Barcelona very much running the show and Valencia yet to get their teeth into things. They'll need to start claiming their share of the ball if they're going to remain just the one behind for very much longer.
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Post by staggerstag on Feb 8, 2018 20:48:36 GMT
Santa Maria, Valencia nearly pot an aggregate equalizer as Rodrigo lifts himself in the area and connects his head to the cross in but sees his effort bounce off the Barca bar on '13.
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Post by staggerstag on Feb 8, 2018 21:02:33 GMT
Rodrigo fires one in from the left, just outside the Barca area, but Cillessen is just about equal to it. They're giving a good showing here, Valencia - and as I speak, Messi picks it up just outside the box and fires in a 22 yard curler which doesn't curl quite enough and goes wide.
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Post by staggerstag on Feb 8, 2018 21:08:42 GMT
ooomph!! I felt that myself as Messi is clattered from behind on '33. Rodrigo seemed to go for the back of Messi's right knee and was spot-on with his attack. But Messi gets up okay.
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Post by staggerstag on Feb 8, 2018 21:11:36 GMT
LOL Messi's shirt is virtually removed from his back as he endures yet another over eager Valencia challenge. He pulls it back over his head and gets on with things again.
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Post by staggerstag on Feb 8, 2018 21:22:11 GMT
It's half time and it's very much game on for Valencia who have played a good part in the first 45. Kondogbia came close just before the ref blew up with a short-range angled stab at goal but it went side-netting.
All it takes, though, is a flash of something special from Suarez or Messi and it's game over, and Valencia know that, so here's hoping they continue to plug away in what so far has been a quite absorbing encounter even though we have seen no potting.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2018 21:26:11 GMT
Impressive work, keeping the British end up in a single-guard action.
Carry on!
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Post by staggerstag on Feb 8, 2018 21:35:07 GMT
Here we go, and Courtinho is on for, I think, Gomes.
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Post by staggerstag on Feb 8, 2018 21:42:27 GMT
N-gol-gol-gol-gol-gol-gol-gol-gol-gol-gol-GOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLL!
He's only been on the field for 4 minutes but Coutinho met the cross in with a sliding drive (almost on his backside) which totally flummoxed the Valencia keeper who had somehow got himself behind his line before the ball actually crossed it. Nothing-one to the visitors and 0-2 overall.
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Post by staggerstag on Feb 8, 2018 21:53:27 GMT
They haven't given up yet, Valencia, as the corner in on '61 finds its way to Soler outside the box. He drills it well enough but it goes a yard wide. Had that gone in it would hardly have put the wind up Barca but it shows there is still life for the hosts in this game, although they do need three, if my understanding is correct.
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Post by staggerstag on Feb 8, 2018 21:59:53 GMT
Oh, it could so easily have been two for Valencia! First Soler's shot a few minutes ago and now Gaya from Zaza's cross. Gaya rose unmolested to greet the ball with his head but it flew just over the Barca bar with Cillessen not even making fingertips to it. That was a great chance gone. The home crowd has gone quieter and you can't blame them really. If those two chances had come at the start of the second half they'd all be pogo-ing but with 20 minutes left it's more like a slow waltz.
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Post by staggerstag on Feb 8, 2018 22:07:44 GMT
Valencia's Gaya has the goal at his mercy on '74. He's eight yards out with only Cillessen to outwit. He fires it on target but the keeper's instincts are outrageously effective as he somehow manages to deflect the close-range assault. No wonder he gets a hug from his defender.
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Post by staggerstag on Feb 8, 2018 22:15:23 GMT
Suarez pounced on the careless loose ball by the Valencia #5 and took off like a greased greyhound to find Rakitic in a central positon 20 yards from goal. He fed him a neat diagonal pass and Rakitic steered it home from about 18 yards. 0-2 Barca on '82.
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Post by staggerstag on Feb 8, 2018 22:23:28 GMT
There it is, then. A valiant enough effort by Valencia which made for an interesting watch for the first 70 minutes or so. But the visitors knew they didn't need anything special this evening and turned in a decent-day-at-the-office performance. They'll play Seville on April 21st in the Final somewhere in Spain (venue unconfirmed as yet)
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2018 22:37:51 GMT
Fine work, sir.  |
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Post by Father Jack on Feb 9, 2018 6:07:37 GMT
👏
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Post by MrFurious on Feb 9, 2018 10:39:39 GMT
Damn I was hoping Coutihno would go an eternity without scoring
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