Valencia reach La Liga summit, smash Cordoba at Estadio Mestalla
Valencia climbed to the top of the Primera Division after Paco Alcacer set them on the way to a comfortable 3-0 win over Cordoba at the Mestalla.
Alcacer headed the hosts in front midway through the first half, and Jose Luis Gaya doubled the lead four minutes later with a low shot from inside the area. Sofiane Feghouli rounded off a fine individual performance by scoring the third goal of the night in the second half.
Valencia have now won four games in succession and have match the points tallies of Barcelona and Sevilla, but have the superior goals record, scoring 13 goals and conceding just twice. The hosts were back in action just three days after a 3-0 win over Getafe in Madrid, and coach Nuno Espirito Santo made several changes to his side, handing debuts to 20-year-old full-back Joao Cancelo and center-half Shkrodran Mustafi, while replacing the suspended Rodrigo Moreno with Feghouli.
The Portuguese coach's opposite number Albert Ferrer also rotated his squad, making five changes to the team beaten 3-1 at home by Sevilla at the weekend. He was unable to pick top scorer Fede Cartabia, who is forbidden from facing parent club Valencia due to the terms of his loan deal, with Fede Vico starting in place of the Argentinian.
Feghouli made a lively start, heading just wide with two minutes played and then firing into the arms of Cordoba goalkeeper Juan Carlos. Alcacer also missed the target with a header in a frantic start from the hosts. Cordoba began to settle into the game and give themselves some respite but were undone in the 22nd minute by the vision of Feghouli and the deadly finishing of Alcacer.
The Algeria international received the ball out wide and whipped a cross towards his striker, who sent a glancing header into the far corner of the net. The goal rocked Cordoba and Cancelo went close to marking his debut with a goal but just missed the near post with a driven effort 20 yards out.
His fellow fullback Gaya was on target just moments later, striking a loose ball low and under Juan Carlos to score the second goal. Cordoba almost seemed resign to defeat after conceding again and made no changes at the break.
Valencia lacked intensity in the second period but pounced again in the 73rd minute. Substitute Carles Gil took advantage of a tired Cordoba side by racing through the middle and aiming a low pass into the pass of Feghouli, who slid to meet the ball and sent it into the goal off the far post, capping a dominant performance from a reinvigorated Valencia, top of the Primera Division for the first time since 2011.
