CHAIN SER
Levante and Valencia tied an equalized derby that both could win, the locals for their football in the first half and Valencia for their reaction in the second, but was unable to take advantage of the final fifteen minutes in numerical superiority.
DATA SHEET
2 – Levante: Oier, Coke, Postigo (Rober Pier, m.46), Chema, Toño, Morales, Prcic (Jason, m.65), Campaign, Bardhi, Roger and Boateng (Dwanema, m.68)
2 – Valencia: Neto, Piccini, Gabriel Paulista, Diakhaby, Gayà, Carlos Soler (Santi Mina, m.82), Wass, Parejo, Cheryshev (Ferran Torres, m.70), Rodrigo and Gameiro (Batshuayi, m.68) .
Goals: 1-0, m.14: Roger. 1-1, m.16: Cheryshev. 2-1, m.33: Roger. 2-2, m.51: Even, penalty.
Referee: Estrada Fernández (Catalan committee). He sent Chema and Morales through the Levante and Ferran Torres from Valencia. Expelled by double reprimand to the Coke Levantista (m.75)
Incidents: match played in the Ciutat de València stadium before 24,000 spectators. The game was interrupted in the 30th minute of each period for the players to hydrate.
While Levante sent until the break, which was reached with 2-1, Valencia reacted after the penalty 2-2 and offered a different image, against a rival less dangerous than in the first period.
A good Levante in the first half
The first part was marked by two different approaches. The Levante looked for more space and long shipments, against a Valencia that kneaded the ball more and tried to get the ball controlled to the rival goal.
Despite this, the local team was more intense and had more options before the break. The first of them came after a spectacular play by Morales in which Neto rejected a shot from Boateng for Roger to open the scoring.
Two minutes lasted the advantage to Levante, as a center of Soler led the equalizer with a header from Cheryshev that was not well marked and Rodrigo could turn the score almost immediately in an action similar to the tie.
The match was leveled, but the danger was borne by Levante, who had a new option in a shot from Morales to the crosshead before the 2-1 in a very well resolved by Roger.
The Valencia accused the goal, was very fragile in defense while their arrivals in attack died for the anticipation of the local rearguard. Even a lack thrown by Bardhi and very well stopped by Neto shortly before the rest could increase the local advantage before a rival with many doubts.
The Valencia reacts after the break
The second half started with the penalty 2-2. Parejo beat Oier after a Toño shoot down Carlos Soler. The goal gave life to a Valencia that was not comfortable in the game.
The match was encouraged after the equalizer with alternatives to both goals since Levante had more offensive presence after the third goal and Valencia found spaces on the counterattack and sent two balls to the post in a few minutes.
It seemed that no team considered the tie to be good, although the spikes of the first half would have changed in terms of the way each of them played and with a substantial improvement in the game of the visiting team.
Distribution of points in a great match
The match entered its quarter-hour with a Valencia more plugged before an opponent in inferiority after the expulsion by double reprimand to Coke, which changed the dynamics of the match, with a visiting team forced to seek victory and a Levante focused on surprise the against.
The visiting domain was not reflected in clear chances of goal against a Levante who defended himself with order and who tried to keep the ball so as not to give options to his opponent.