There was something in the air ahead of the Liga fixture between Valencia and Cádiz that suggested it was not simply another game to make up the numbers in the first match week of the New Year. The 1-1 draw arguably left neither side with a sense of satisfaction given that Cádiz had victory within their grasp and again hit the post, while a point did little to help Valencia dispel the crisis currently hanging over Mestalla.
Álvaro Cervera made changes to his side, some due to necessity such as the presence of Pedro Alcalá in the heart of defence and others through conviction, Álex Fernández starting on the wing and the partnership of Álvaro Negredo and Choco Lozano in attack.
Cádiz started the game in lively fashion in the opposition area but unfortunately efficiency did not accompany the visitors’ early forays, Negredo missing a chance to make it 0-1 after two minutes when the striker’s effort was cleared off the line by Mouctar Diakhaby after Fali flicked on Álex’s corner.
Denis Cheryshev saw a tame attempt go wide before Cádiz went close again on the quarter-hour mark through two Jairo deliveries. Lozano failed to connect with the first and Negredo glanced the second on for Álex to flash a shot high with the Madrid-born striker in a better position to trouble the opposition keeper.
Javi Gracia’s side stepped up a gear and in the 22nd minute Conan Ledesma was called into action, the Cádiz number one stopping a point-blank Maxi Gómez header from Thierry’s cross. The hosts suffered a blow when Kevin Gameiro was forced off shortly afterwards to be replaced by Lee Kang-in, whose introduction coincided with a free-kick that the South Korean saw cleared by Fali.
From there until the break the game was fairly even, with only a Cheryshev effort that shaved the post giving either side an opportunity to open the scoring.
Cádiz made a change at half time, Carlos Akapo replacing Jairo after the midfielder picked up a shoulder issue in the first 45. That led to the versatile Iza Carcelén being pushed up from the back onto the wing vacated by Jairo, where he is more than at home.
After Ledesma thwarted a Maxi Gómez effort the chances started to fall Cádiz’s way. Álex teed up Lozano to head wide and the former Real Madrid player then sent a corner in towards Fali, whose back-header was saved by Jaume Domenech.
The breakthrough finally came in the 58th minute, Pacha Espino driving forwards on the left and selling his marker a dummy to cross for Iza, whose flick-on sat up invitingly for Lozano to bury an overhead kick to make it 0-1.
Valencia sought a reaction by sending on Álex Blanco and Manu Vallejo. Carlos Soler almost found an equalizer on 66 minutes after a solo run from midfield that Ledesma managed to repel. It fell to Cádiz to maintain defensive discipline and seek a second goal to put the game to bed, which was never going to be easy against a side nursing wounded pride.
It was almost a perfect night for Lozano, who rattled a post in the 71st minute from Álex’s corner. Cervera looked to his bench for options and elected to freshen up the attack with Filip Malbasic and Álvaro Giménez coming on for Lozano and Negredo, both of whom had found their way into the referee’s notebook.
But Valencia did not relent and in the 79th minute Maxi Gómez headed home at the back post unmarked from a José Gayà cross to secure the hosts an equalizer.
The home side pushed up in the final 10 minutes with Rubén Sobrino replacing Daniel Wass and Cádiz got the upper hand in the opposition half but couldn’t capitalize on the chances created. Álex went clean through one-on-one with Domenech but showed a bit too much of the ball to the Valencia keeper before Cervera made his final change, taking the midfielder off for Alberto Perea with the game wide open.
Three attempts to hit on the counter were pulled back for offside before the fourth official raised his board to indicate four minutes of added time. It was time enough for Perea to find Jens Jonsson but the Dane narrowly missed the target from the edge of the area. Points shared in Mestalla and little change of situation for Valencia and Cádiz.
