At Mestalla, where Valencia arrived carrying the weight of three straight home defeats, Javier Aguirre saw enough in a goalless draw with Athletic Club to believe the recovery can begin. The Mexican coach’s first match in charge at the stadium ended without a winner, but also without another concession.
A point and a clean sheet in Valencia
- Aguirre took charge of his second Valencia match, and his first in front of the Mestalla crowd, as Athletic Club visited the city.
- Athletic controlled much of the first half and put Valencia under pressure, in Aguirre’s assessment.
- Valencia improved after the interval, pushed for the decisive goal and had their own chance to take all three points.
- Neither side found a finish, leaving the contest at 0-0 and giving Aguirre his second point since arriving at the club.
The coach reduced the afternoon to a simple explanation: “The ball did not go in.” He felt both sides had a period in which they could have won, with Athletic stronger before the break and Valencia better in the second half.
“We had come from three consecutive home losses. We had to respond and do something different. We tried to win the match,” Aguirre said. “They had the first half and put us under pressure. We were better in the second. The ball did not go in, but I am calm.”
Building a response at Mestalla
The clean sheet carried particular value for a Valencia side that had been conceding heavily before Aguirre’s appointment. The former Mexico manager stressed that ending that run was an essential first step, even if the missed opportunity to score prevented a home victory.
“We had been letting in a lot of goals and today, finally, we kept a clean sheet,” he said. “After three very painful defeats, we had to stop dropping points at home. We have to make this place a fortress. We did not score, but I am pleased with the work of the players and the supporters.”
Aguirre asked for faith in the work underway, acknowledging that lifting Valencia from the position in which he found the team will not be straightforward. Yet, after only two matches in the role, he believes the squad is beginning to trust its own capacity.
“We have only played two games and the team believes in its possibilities,” Aguirre said. “I think it is growing. The backing from the people at Mestalla is unconditional, and I am very happy.”
