Luis Rioja ends Valencia’s four-game losing run with 78th-minute winner

Valencia won 1-0 at Alaves on Tuesday, ending a run of four straight defeats. The result also ended Alaves’ perfect home start after three wins at Estadio de Mendizorroza.

How it happened

The first half ended 0-0, with Alaves producing 11 shots inside the box and Valencia five. The decisive moment arrived in the 78th minute: Luis Rioja scored for Valencia, assisted by Javi Guerra. Valencia’s defence held firm through the closing stages, with Alaves finishing with 15 total shots but only three on target.

The numbers

Valencia controlled 57% of possession and completed 388 accurate passes, compared with Alaves’ 43% and 271. Alaves created more overall attempts, 15 to 10, but Valencia matched them with three shots on goal. The visitors also won five corners to Alaves’ two, while Alaves committed seven fouls and Valencia 14.

Who decided it

Rioja changed the game after coming on for 19 minutes, scoring with his only recorded shot on target and earning a 7.7 rating. José Gayà was Valencia’s highest-rated full-match performer at 7.5 after making three tackles, while A. Danjuma posted four key passes and a 7.2 rating across 90 minutes.

Why it matters

Alaves started the round fourth with 10 points from five games, while Valencia were 20th with one point. The three points move Valencia to four and reduce the gap between the teams from nine points to six; Alaves remain five points behind Barcelona’s 15-point total on the figures supplied.