Valencia and Espanyol played out a gritty 1-1 draw in a mid-table LaLiga battle, with Los Ches failing once again to overcome their Catalan rivals, stretching their winless streak in this fixture to six games (D5, L1).
Riding the momentum of a seven-match unbeaten run in the league, Valencia entered the clash knowing that a positive outcome would all but banish any remaining fears of relegation.
Carlos Corberan’s side showed intent early, threatening through Hugo Duro’s header which was denied by Joan Garcia, while Enzo Barrenechea blazed a golden opportunity over the bar from close range.
Espanyol slowly grew into the game and nearly seized the advantage with Edu Exposito unleashing a powerful long-range strike that crashed off the post.
That narrow escape sparked Valencia back into life before the break, with Luis Rioja and Barrenechea each testing Garcia as the hosts pushed for a breakthrough.
But it was the visitors who struck first in the 40th minute. Javi Puado met Exposito’s thunderous free-kick with a deft finish past Giorgi Mamardashvili, netting his 11th LaLiga goal of the campaign.
Valencia emerged from the interval with renewed purpose and soon found an equalizer.
Just before the hour mark, Rioja threaded a slick pass through to Javi Guerra, who slotted home a composed finish into the bottom corner.
With momentum on their side, the hosts dominated possession and pressed forward in search of a winner. However, Espanyol’s defence remained resilient, absorbing the pressure with discipline.
Valencia nearly completed the turnaround late on when Jose Gaya’s close-range header forced a smart save from Garcia, while Espanyol’s Roberto Fernandez had a fleeting opportunity at the other end.
In the end, neither side could produce the decisive moment, leaving Espanyol to rue a missed opportunity to clinch a third consecutive away win.
