Valencia claimed their sixth win in seven La Liga games by thrashing Elche 4-0 at Estadio Martinez Valero this evening.
Andre Gomes opened the scoring for Los Ches at the end of a first half in which they had two goals disallowed.
They doubled their lead after the break when Paco Alcacer tapped in from close range and they grabbed a third when Elche defender Enzo Roco turned the ball into his own net.
In stoppage-time Nicolas Otamendi headed in from a corner to complete the rout, as Valencia signaled their title-winning aspirations.
Find out how the action unfolded below.
Hello everyone! A great weekend of football is just around the corner, but this evening we've got a tasty La Liga clash for you to get stuck into. Our coverage today sees in-form Valencia attempt to close the gap on Barcelona and Real Madrid with three points against relegation-threatened Elche.
There are no teams in the Spanish top flight in better form than Valencia. They have lost just one of their previous 14 games in La Liga and have leapfrogged Atletico Madrid in the table. With just seven points separating themselves from second-placed Real Madrid, there is a real opportunity for them here to keep up the pressure and stake their claims for the title.
The squad have arrived at the Martinez Valero ahead of #elcheVCF. Only 30 minutes from kick-off! pic.twitter.com/4SFIpflAK3
— Valencia CF (@valenciacf_en) March 20, 2015
Standing in the way of the visitors are an Elche outfit who have improved since the turn of the year and have claimed five wins from their previous 10 league outings. There is still a long way to go as they bid to avoid relegation after successive seasons in La Liga but with most of their remaining fixtures against teams around them in the division they will fancy their chances of staying up.
TEAMS:
ELCHE XI: Tyton, Damian, Enzo Roco, Lomban, Cisma, Pasalic, Adrian, Rodrigues, Fajr, Victor, Jonathas
VALENCIA XI: Alves, Barragan, Mustafi, Otamendi, Gaya, Parejo, Fuego, Gomes, Feghouli, Alcacer, Piatti
So, that's how our teams will be lining up this evening. There are four changes made by Valencia, as Shkodran Mustafi, Javi Fuego, Sofiane Feghouli and Paco Alcacer come into the starting XI following last week's win over Deportivo. Meanwhile, Elche have made just one change to their side, as Adrian is drafted into the midfield to replace Jose Angel.
Who would have thought this time last season that Valencia would be third in La Liga and with an outside chance of winning the title? They finished a distant eighth in the table last year and did not even qualify for the Europa League, which led to the dismissal of manager Juan Antonio Pizzi.
Final check at the Martinez Valero pitch ahead of kick-off... #elcheVCF pic.twitter.com/dJubwbxtkl
— Valencia CF (@valenciacf_en) March 20, 2015
Former Porto goalkeeper Nuno was brought in to replace him and he has done a great job at steadily guiding the club into the Champions League spots. They've had some great wins over the likes of Real Madrid, Atletico and Sevilla and a kind-looking fixture list over the new two months increases their chances of a strong finish.
It hasn't been quite as good a season for Valencia's city rivals Elche, who are once again involved in a battle against the drop. They started 2015 at the bottom of the table, but on their return from the winter break they came from two goals down to draw against Villarreal and it has sparked a resurgence which has lifted them up to 15th.
Elche may have picked up some handy results, but against the league's best teams they have suffered. They have lost three times in the past couple of months to Barcelona, including a 6-0 hammering in La Liga, and have also fallen to Real Madrid and Sevilla, who claimed a comprehensive 3-0 victory over them last weekend.
The teams have just left their dressing rooms and are making their way out of the tunnel and onto the pitch. We're around three minutes away from kick off in this La Liga clash and the home fans are certainly making a lot of noise as they welcome their team.
KICKOFF! We are underway at Estadio Martinez Valero!
CHANCE! It's all Valencia in the early stages of this game and they come within inches of breaking the deadlock. Piatti whips in a free kick from the left and the ball bounces around before landing at the feet of Otamendi, who gets his shot away, but he can only poke it just wide of the top corner.
YELLOW CARD! Suarez will have to walk a bit of a tightrope for the rest of the game as he picks up an early booking for the hosts.
Elche have started to come into the game over the past couple of minutes and they enjoy a sustained period of possession deep in their opponents' half. They eventually win a corner which is cleared out to Suarez, but the Uruguayan can only place his long-range effort wide of the target.
OFF THE LINE! Valencia have had a couple of really good chances to take the lead and after Elche lose possession cheaply, Piatti quickly nips in and slides Alcacer through on goal. The striker then takes the ball past the keeper and looks to slot a low effort into the net, but Lomban is back to clear his shot off the line.
The hosts have been guilty of losing the ball in some dangerous areas more than once already and they can't afford to keep giving a team like Valencia any more promising openings, as they will soon surely be punished.
GOAL DISALLOWED! This is a really controversial decision, as Valencia have a perfectly good goal chalked off. A corner was touched on and Mustafi reacted quickly to flick the ball into the net, but he was adjudged to have been standing in an offside position when the replays show he was clearly on.
It must surely be only a matter of time until Valencia take the lead, as they could very easily be 3-0 up by now. They look especially dangerous from set pieces with some of the defending from the hosts very poor to say the least.
SHOT! The visitors press forward once again and Feghouli has their latest chance on goal when he arrives in the middle to meet a low cross from Gomes. He ends up putting the ball over the bar under pressure from the defence, as the visitors' goal continues to lead a charmed life.
CHANCE! The attempts on goal are really starting to pile up now for Valencia and they miss another very presentable opening. It's Feghouli again who threatens as he gets free in the middle to meet a cross from Piatti, but he can only touch the well wide of the far post.
The longer that this games stays goalless, it will give Elche hope that they can pull of a big shock. They haven't threatened too often in the first half, but they have managed to put the Valencia defence under a bit of pressure when crossing from wide positions.
GOAL DISALLOWED! Valencia have the ball in the net, but once again it's ruled out for a very questionable offside decision. It was Alcacer who scored, after breaking through middle and keeping his composure to slot into the bottom corner, but the flag was raised by the linesman and Elche escape unharmed again.
Elche really have to make the most of the few chances that they are going to get and they win a free kick by the right-hand touchline and push plenty of men forward. Fajr steps up to take the set piece, but his effort is poor and doesn't manage to pick out any of his teammates inside the box.
The visitors are enjoying a decent spell of possession here as we close in on the end of the half. It's gone a little bit flat for Valencia though, who must surely be wondering how they are not at least one goal ahead after creating so many decent chances.
GOAL! Elche 0-1 Valencia (Andre Gomes)
It's taken them until nearly the end of the half, but Valencia have finally broken the deadlock! Feghouli does well to get to a deep cross from Piatti at the back post and volleys in a strike which is beaten away by Tyton, but Gomes is there to fire in the rebound from close range and break the home side's stubborn resistance.
HALF-TIME: Elche 0-1 Valencia
It looked like we would be heading into the break without a goal, but with just a minute left to play Andre Gomes has given Valencia a crucial lead. They fully deserve it for the way they have played and they have also had a couple of very decent goals questionably ruled out.
It really has been all Valencia so far and the statistics just about sum up their dominance. They have seen slightly more of the ball, with 51% of the possession and they have had six attempts on goal, with two finding the target. Elche have had four efforts, but none of those have been particularly threatening and they are yet to test Diego Alves.
If Valencia manage to hold onto their lead and claim win then they will move up to 60 points in the La Liga table. That would put real pressure on fourth-placed Atletico ahead of their match against Getafe tomorrow and it will also remind Barcelona and Real Madrid that there is a third team sneaking into the title race.
Right, the teams have just made their way out onto the pitch for the second half, which will be getting underway in just a few moments.
Valencia take the kick off and get the second half started!
GOAL DISALLOWED! Valencia start the second half with a familiar flag from the linesman, but this time he makes the right call as Parejo is offside as he gets onto Alcacer's through ball and squares for Feghouli to tap into the net.
The visitors are still well on top here and they are passing the ball around confidently between their midfielders. There is surely a goal or two more in this for them, although they should be out of sight already.
From being in a position of control, Valencia almost throw it away as a they lose possession from a short corner and allow Elche to break quickly. Rodrigues is then almost picked out by a threaded pass, but Alves rushes off his line and outside of his box to make a crucial challenge. He would have surely walked if he didn't get the ball and we would have be in for quite a different game.
Valencia may have a bit of a problem here, as Feghouli goes down under a heavy challenge from Cisma. He stays down on the pitch for a short while, but after getting some attention from the medical staff it looks as if he will fine to continue.
GOAL! Elche 0-2 Valencia (Paco Alcacer)
Valencia have played some wonderful football at times this evening and they open up a two-goal lead through Alcacer. The striker was on hand to tap in a brilliant low cross from Gomes and it looks like the three points are surely in the bag for the visitors.
SUBSTITUTION: Elche respond to conceding that goal by bringing on Pasalic for Herrera.
CHANCE! The visitors are close to scoring a third goal when Feghouli meets a low cross at the back post and he looks certain to tap the ball home, but somehow he ends up blazing it well wide of the target.
CHANCE! Elche have barely posed a threat since the break, but they come agonizingly close to pulling one back here. Jonathas does well to wriggle past a couple of tackles on the edge of the box, before firing in a strike which takes the slightest of deflections and ends up heading inches over the bar.
SUBSTITUTION: Valencia are going to make their first change of the night, as goalscorer Alcacer heads off to be replaced by Negredo.
GOAL! Elche 0-3 Valencia (Enzo Roco own goal)
It really hasn't been Elche's night and Enzo Roco turns the ball into his own net to give Valencia a third goal. There seemed little danger when Barragan whipped in a low cross, but the defender makes an absolutely howler in trying to clear it and there was nothing Tyton could do as it trickled over the line.
SUBSTITUTION: Elche are going to make their second change of the night, with Coro now on for Rodrigues.
SUBSTITUTION: The hosts quickly make their final sub of the evening, as Mosquera replaces Adrian.
SHOT! Alves is forced into making his first save of the evening when Lomban picks up the ball in space and fancies his chances. He fires in a strike which is well hit, but far too close to the keeper who beats the ball away without too many problems.
Since scoring their third of the match, Valencia have been content to just play the ball around and keep possession. They are still trying to spring their forward players through on goal if the chance arises, but with such a commanding lead they won't be caught now.
SUBSTITUTION: The visitors are going to make another change and the impressive Feghouli is replaced in the closing stages by Cancelo.
What a brilliant tackle this is by Mustafi! Jonathas looks like he will have the chance to score after racing onto a ball through the middle, but the defender gets back to make a stunning challenge from behind and put the ball out for a corner.
Elche have put in a spirited effort over the last few minutes, but they have come up against a quality team this evening. Valencia have had far too much power for them to cope with in attack and their defence has been rock solid.
SUBSTITUTION: Tropi is going to have a late run out for the visitors, with Parejo the man to make way.
GOAL! Elche 0-4 Valencia (Nicolas Otamendi)
Valencia wrap up the game with a fourth goal deep into stoppage time. Piatti had seen his strike turned wide by the keeper, but from the resulting corner Otamendi powered in a header to put the icing on top of the cake.
FULL-TIME: Elche 0-4 Valencia
A very one-sided game at Martinez Valero comes to an end and it's Valencia who have romped to all three points. They were simply brilliant this evening and the final scoreline does not flatter them at all. They are now just four points behind Real Madrid and very much in the La Liga title race!
© Getty Images
That's all from me this evening, after a great performance from Valencia. Make sure you stay with us across the weekend for more live coverage and the latest news from across the world of sport. Until next time, goodbye!
Written by
Alex Meyers
Alex Meyers
