Valencia climb up to Champions League spot

Valencia climb up to Champions League spot

Valencia moved into fourth place in the standings after netting three second-half goals to inflict a first home defeat of the season on 10-man Almeria, 3-0.

Pablo Hernandez was the star man for Valencia, setting up David Villa for his side's first, then bringing about the foul that saw Almeria goalkeeper Diego Alves sent off before capping a fine performance with a brilliant long-range lob to double the visitors' lead.

In-form winger Juan Manuel Mata then became the third Spain international to find the back of the net as he drilled home a low shot late on to complete a pleasing night's work for Unai Emery's men.

The victory continues Valencia's steady start to the campaign, which has seen them win five and lose just one of their 11 Primera Division and Europa League group matches so far, and lifts them to within one point of third-placed Sevilla.

It might have been a different story though if Almeria midfielder Modeste M'Bami's 11th-minute volley had found the roof of the net rather than the top of the Valencia crossbar after a corner had fallen kindly to him inside the box.

Valencia survived that early let off though, and they can perhaps consider themselves unfortunate not to be ahead by half-time with David Silva, Mata, David Navarro and Ever Banega all threatening the Almeria goal prior to the break.

It needed a good save from Cesar Sanchez to keep Valencia level-pegging just after the break, however, when he tipped over Juanma Ortiz's rising drive.

That was in the 48th minute, but within 14 minutes of that Almeria found themselves a goal behind and down to 10 men.

Valencia came close to netting in the 52nd minute when Alves produced a brilliant one-handed save to keep out Pablo's low shot, but 60 seconds after that the visitors were celebrating the breakthrough when Pablo's inch-perfect cross was headed home at the far post by Villa.

That was the prolific hitman's seventh league goal of the season and came just three days after he was red-carded during Valencia's 1-1 Europa League draw with Slavia Prague.

Valencia's grip on the game was further strengthened in the 62nd minute when Alves was handed his marching orders after he was beaten in a race for the ball by Pablo and his sliding challenge sent the visiting winger flying.

Los Che almost doubled their lead immediately when, from the resulting free-kick, Villa was denied by a stunning one-handed save by Almeria substitute goalkeeper Esteban Suarez.

Esteban was left stranded in the 73rd minute though when Pablo picked up possession, spotted the Almeria custodian off his line and brilliantly chipped home his side's second from 40 yards out.

That pretty much ensured Valencia would be taking the three points home with them, and Mata made sure of that fact in the 86th minute when he drove home a low shot from 25 yards to sentence Hugo Sanchez's Almeria to their first home loss in four games.