SANTI MINA STRUCK four minutes from time to earn Valencia a 1-1 draw against La Liga champions Barcelona as new coach Gary Neville watched from the stands.
Neville has been appointed as Nuno Espirito Santo’s replacement in a somewhat surprising move and watched on as Voro and brother Phil Neville presided over a gutsy display that saw Santi Mina cancel out Luis Suarez’s opener late on.
Nuno resigned his post following last week’s abject defeat to Sevilla but interim boss Voro witnessed a determined display at the Mestalla, even if his side rode their luck in the first half with Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar all missing first-half chances.
Former Manchester United and England man Neville officially takes charge from Sunday and looked set to do so against the backdrop of a defeat after Suarez scored for a seventh game in succession in all competitions.
The striker enraged Aymen Abdennour and Valencia fans moments earlier with an apparent stamp but the Mestalla erupted when Paco Alcacer brilliantly brought down a long ball on his chest before turning Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano and playing in Santi Mina.
The young forward finished calmly past Claudio Bravo, ending Barca’s six-game winning streak in La Liga and giving Neville a positive foundation to build on.
Barca sit two points clear at the top after dropping points again at the Mestalla while Valencia will approach Neville’s debut in the Champions League against Lyon on Wednesday in high spirits.
Amid an electric atmosphere at kick-off, the game began at frenetic pace, Danilo’s effort squirming wide for the hosts, who were without suspended pair Joao Cancelo and Javi Fuego.
Barca replaced the injured former Valencia player Jeremy Mathieu with Jordi Alba and gradually grew into the game, Lionel Messi volleying Neymar’s delivery over the crossbar before the Brazilian shot over when clear on goal.
Voro’s men remained disciplined to frustrate Barca inside the opening half-hour, although Neymar continued to pose problems for right-back Ruben Vezo, squaring for Messi, who shot straight at Jaume 26 minutes in.
Valencia will perhaps feel aggrieved not to have been awarded a penalty when Gerard Pique tangled with Enzo Perez inside the box, referee Santiago Jaime uninterested.
Suarez joined Neymar and Messi in missing the target before Aderlan Santos got the crucial touch on Messi’s cross to deny the Uruguayan a simple tap-in prior to half-time.
Suarez angered Abdennour early in the second half with an apparent stamp, referee Jaime taking no action, before the Barca man clattered into goalkeeper Jaume Domenech much to the home fans’ annoyance.
And it was the former Liverpool striker who broke the deadlock just before the hour when he latched onto Messi’s lofted pass before holding off Abdennour to finish at the near post.
Domenech should perhaps have done better while there were shades of offside when Messi played the pass but Valencia almost levelled when Pique was forced into an erratic clearance after Dani Parejo’s effort was charged down.
Suarez again remained in the thick of things when he barged into Abdennour as Neymar and Rodrigo de Paul went close at either end but it was Santi Mina who played the decisive role as he stroked home the equaliser with four minutes remaining.
Danilo saw a powerful drive well saved by Bravo as Valencia set about finding a winner but Neville will instead begin his first full coaching role off the back of a hard-earned point.
Obviously been rested for basel. Massive game on Tuesday.
This is the right way to deal with gerrard. He is a 60-90 minute player now. Can make an impact when he comes on
He’s too old now. Will retire without a premier league medal. Har Har Har
Har har har…. What do you have to show for in life? That funny joke? You will be remembered for that?
Your some man to talk graham
He has lifted every competitive trophy (apart from one obviously) there is to lift as club captain.
The only club captain to have done so in Europe.
No one else has this record, believe it or not.
He hasn’t had a bad career.
Eoin, I have not claimed to have had a better life…. But when faced with a stupid comment…..
I’m sure Maldini would trade those League titles for a Uefa Cup medal in a heart beat Danny ha
U bitter bitter man
Sean, the record still stands. :-)
Dennis hickie never won a 6 nations… What conclusions would you draw from that?
Dan Marino never won a Suprebowl, yet he’s widely regarded as being in the top3 NFL QB’s of all time. So what if Gerrard hasn’t got a PL medal, he’ll still be remembered as a top class player and captain.
God damn Ray Finkle!
He’s the laughing stock of the league this season! He wants a prem medal more than anything and he WILL NEVER get one! ;)
You are a fool.
That Ireland weren’t good enough at that time ???
Niall Lonergan… Loner…. I could see that.
Graham… Ham… Try seeing that. Now how Prem medals has Stevie G? A big fat 0 my friend! :P
I’m watching this game and can’t help but feel that d qauility On display here is on a par with the league of ireland I’m doin my own league a dis service by watchn this tripe, premier league my ass
Gerrard is so overrated.
So are your sunglasses!
That comeback is so bad Warren I’m not even gonna slag you back.
Pitiful.
Gerrard is still totally overrated.
Good point for Liverpool
I wonder will you be around on Monday Baz………
Of course I will , and midweek
If you play as good as you did today there’s no reason why you shouldn’t get a point against Basel aswell
I am talking about you shooting your mouth like a fool even before United have played a tough away match….fool
C’mon Peter, you know Baz by now…. Go with it. As much as he likes to get to ya, he does not get like many people here still wearing nappies its seems….
What has this got to do with Utd ??? And why is everybody a fool in your eyes cause their view is different ??
Take your word for it that Sundeland’s game plan is working, meanwhile Arsenal are being slaughtered.
After what he did during the week, gerrard not starting is a joke. Unless he’s being rested for the Basel match.
Hold on a sec,yis were crying out for him to be dropped 2 weeks ago.
The difference a week can make!
Hehe, was waiting for this…. Glad he is dropped again, when he came on last time, he made a difference… And this should be his role. He is still a class player, just not the same engine.
Always thought he was a very good but over rated player, certainly never in the same class as say a Giggs or a Scholes who despite the longevity of their careers always made an impact. Sure they have the medals to show for it.
Gerrrad was and is a great player amazing, wonderful, spectacular, one of the best, but he is not better than Paul Scholes.
Gerard was an outstanding player, would have achieved it all maybe had he went elsewhere. He would have played in any team. Those calling him overrated are just showing how clueless they are about football…. He is not up there with some others, and that is down to the fact he stayed at Liverpool. He gave it everything, maybe did not get everything he deserved. Scholes, Giggs… Yes class, but surrounded by class. Gerard, for years kept Liverpool just about relevant at times…. His defining moment is probably captaining the greatest CL win ever…. And a certain slip…. But that was because he tried so hard…. People make mistakes because they try, others are clean because they did nothing…..
Careful there now Frank, people talking sense on this subject tend not be well received at all.
You’re actually perfectly correct though.
He slipped because he tried so hard? What planet are you on man. Standing on the halfway line between two centre backs and and he failed to control the ball and then slips literally gifting the win to Chelsea but to be fair that could happen to anyone so let’s not dwell on it.
The CL win is oft quoted as a mark of his greatness. Rubbish.
Milan overran them while it was Gerrard in midfield. The introduction of Hamann to replace Finnan was the turning point in that game. It forced Liverpool to reshape with Gerrard out of midfield where he got destroyed in the first half.
He’s a brilliant striker of the ball, reliable peno taker and good at the corners and free kicks etc. in every other aspect of the game he’s nowhere near the status awarded to him by Liverpool fans who can’t see beyond their nose.
There’s not a chance he’s a better midfielder than Keane, Scholes, Vieira, Beckham, Giggs etc etc etc. Gary Speed was better than him if you’re judging him as a midfield player. So is Carrick for that matter. Less spectacular but more effective. Look at Matic missing for Chelsea today and they lost. You boys just don’t understand how this works.
Understand literal? No I guess…. Gerard was alone in poor teams…. Your heros were surrounded by great players. Would they have done the same in Gerards shoes? I do not expect you to agree, judging by many of your posts, any Liverpool player is historically rubbish.
Literally gifting the win to Chelsea? Eh yeah he literally gifted the win to Chelsea. Gifts possession to Demba Ba on the halfway line? If you want to discuss semantics bring it on but you’ll struggle big guy.
Hamann, Alonso, Mascherano, Riise, Hyppia, Kewell, Suarez, Torres, Carragher, Fowler, Owen. steve Finnan was an established international? All of the above were excellent players and had great careers. This thing of Gerrard played with no one is another misnomer perpetuated by ‘pool fans to suit their cocktail of nostalgia and marketing induced myopia. I realise they weren’t all part of the same squads but nevertheless their careers overlapped and it tears asunder this nonsense he’d no one with him. Garbage.
Sure United won titles with Wes Brown, John O’Shea, Blomqvist, Henning Berg, David May, Quinton Fortune for heavens sake?
Look just admit that apart from watching YouTube clips of cracking shots from the edge of the box you’ve never really analysed this properly.
Had he went? Had he went? Understand the difference between past tense and past participle? Clearly not.
School me on grammar, fair play to you. Like I said, did not expect you to agree, but I was not going to start insulting you.
Also, I never use youtube for anything other than pranks and fails. Your simple evaluation that Gerard is over rated is way off the mark.
You started it. Literally.
Michael, have a good night, we can agree on that
Not me, however
Steven Gerrard is a poor man’s Frank Lampard
United fans all over a Liverpool thread as usual.
And decent streams?
Any*