David Villa, Juanma Mata and Vicente Rodriguez scored in Valencia 3-0 victory over Mallorca on Saturday.
David Villa, Juanma Mata and Vicente Rodriguez scored in Valencia 3-0 victory over Mallorca on Saturday. The opening day of the Spanish league season.
Striker Villa, who signed a new six-year contract on Wednesday despite reported interest from Real Madrid, headed the first goal of Valencia’s new campaign from Pablo Hernandez’s bouncing cross in the 34th.
Four minutes later, midfielder Mata nodded home after Mallorca goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya had parried Villa’s fierce shot.
Substitute Vicente sealed the win in the 83rd - nine minutes after replacing midfielder David Silva - when he scored on a low cross by Hernandez’s replacement, Miguel Angel Angulo.
Valencia’s emphatic first win provided encouragement after its 10th-place finish last season - the team’s worst showing in a decade. It also boosted 36-year-old coach Unai Emery, who took charge in May to become the youngest coach in the club’s history.
In the game which kicked off the season, Luis Garcia’s 48th-minute goal brought Espanyol a 1-0 win over Valladolid.
On Sunday, Real Madrid begins its bid for a third straight title at Deportivo La Coruna, where it hasn’t won since 1991.
FC Barcelona will be under new coach Pep Guardiola for its visit to promoted Numancia, while Villarreal, last season’s runner-up, plays at Osasuna.
Also Sunday, it’s: Athletic Bilbao vs. Almeria; Atletico Madrid vs. Malaga; Real Betis vs. Recreativo Huelva; Sporting Gijon vs. Getafe; and Racing Santander vs. Sevilla.
Villa, whose four goals helped Spain win the European Championships two months earlier, received a warm reception at Mestalla Stadium and proved a constant worry for Mallorca’s defense.
However, the striker wasted a clear chance to double his tally when he blazed the ball over the bar in the 59th minute.
Emery surprisingly left right winger Joaquin Sanchez in the stand, with media suggesting Madrid has turned its attention to the right winger as a possible replacement for the unsettled Robinho.
Mallorca, which is close to being sold to British investor Paul Davidson, has only won its opening match of the season once in the past 11 years.
Espanyol striker Garcia received Ivan De La Pena’s pass before unleashing a shot past Valladolid goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo.
Espanyol’s victory at its Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium made for a promising start for coach Bartolome “Tintin” Marquez, who replaced Ernesto Valverde at the end of last season. Valverde is now in charge of Greek club Olympiakos.
It also boosted the morale of the Barcelona-based team, which appears close to losing Spain midfielder Albert Riera to Liverpool and Argentina defender Pablo Zabaleta to Manchester City.
