Goals from Sergi Canós and Diego López established Valencia’s dominance over an Eldense side that struggled to make an impact. In a sport like football, especially during the Cup, where forces can rebalance, quality often takes precedence. This was evident on Tuesday evening at the Nuevo Pepico Amat, where Valencia took advantage of every opportunity to lead 2-0 at halftime and completely neutralized Eldense in the second half.
The atmosphere was magical at Nuevo Pepico Amat, a feeling shared by Deportivo coach Dani Ponz before the match. The Valencian team presented a lineup suitable for the league, with several starters alongside new signing Diego Collado, who made his debut in place of Quintana in attack, allowing him to play freely.
After several minutes of failure, it was Valencia who opened the scoring. Sergi Canós received the loose ball on the edge of the area and fired a long shot that left Dani Martín with no chance. Just eight minutes after kick-off, Eldense had to push for an equalizer, coming close just a minute after the goal with a Collado strike that skimmed the target.
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Pepelu added to the crowd’s tension moments later with a powerful shot that grazed the post. As the minutes passed, Eldense’s spirit began to wane, with numerous incursions, particularly on the right flank, but they struggled to penetrate the Valencia defense.
It was only at the half-hour mark that Ponz’s men changed gear and kept Valencia in their camp. The referee ignored a penalty for Eldense when goalkeeper Dimitrievski crashed into Jorquera as he tried to recover the ball, leading to calls for a VAR check. As the home side gained momentum, Valencia struck again, this time through Diego López, served by Canós. It was a cold shower for Eldense just before half-time as they realized that the efficiency of their first division opponents was threatening their chances of progress.
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Cries of “we can do it” echoed from the stands as Deportivo came back for the second half without the conviction they had shown earlier. Ponz quickly looked for solutions on the bench, bringing in Timor, Quintana and Masca, who was also making his debut in the blue and garnet jersey.
Dani Martín kept the score at 2-0 after an hour of play by keeping away Diego López’s one-on-one shot. The home side struggled to respond to Valencia’s tactics by remaining firmly in control, even forcing the home goalkeeper to intervene again against Sadiq’s effort.
With more than 5,000 fans trying to galvanize their team with each threatening approach, Eldense seemed to be fighting more with heart than strategy. The second goal had a bigger impact than expected, and Valencia managed the match by ensuring that little action took place on their territory, and if it did, it was close to the box. Eldense.
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Valencia looked to have scored a third goal when Almeida converted a rebound, but the linesman flagged it offside, giving Eldense a lifeline with just fifteen minutes remaining. However, the second half proved to be a story of willpower but not being able to execute, with the home side failing to turn the game in their favor, while Valencia showed their superior class. The 0-2 result sealed Eldense’s Cup hopes, and the focus now turns solely to the league as they prepare to face Eibar next Monday at 8:30 p.m.
Match Details
CD Eldense (0) : Ian Mackay ; Fran Gámez, Íñigo Piña, Monsalve, Marc Mateu; Víctor García (Ropero 83′), Sergio Ortuño, Álex Bernal (Timor 59′), Jorquera (Simo 74′) ; Collado (Masca 59′), Juanto (Quintana 59′).
Valence CF (2) : Dimitriesvki ; Foulquier, Mosquera, Tarrega, Jesus Vazquez; Guillamón (Barrenechea 59′), Pepelu ; Diego López (Luis Rioja 69′), Javi Guerra (Almeida 59′), Sergi Canós (Allemand 85′) ; Hugo Duro (Sadiq 59′).
Goals: 0-1 (Sergi Canós 8′), 0-2 (Diego López 39′)
Referee: Cuadra Fernández (Baleari Committee). Yellow cards were handed out to local players Diego Collado and Piña, as well as visitors Dimitrievski, Guillamón, Sadiq and Diego López.
