Defeat in final winter friendly against AZ Alkmaar (1-3)

Valencia CF hosted AZ Alkmaar on Thursday 22nd of December at 12 pm kick-off time at the Ciutat Esportiva in the last winter friendly before the LaLiga resumption on New Year’s Eve in the regional derby at the La Estadio de la Cerámica. 

Valencia CF were off to a slow start to the game and just over the 10-minute mark, Karlson made it 0-1 to AZ Alkmaar.  

Valencia CF refused to back down and they kept on pushing for the equaliser. Alas, the visitors kept on upping the tempo in a sloppy passage of play on the half-hour mark at the Antonio Puchades. 

Persistence paid dividends in the closing minutes of the first half when Ilaix Moriba netted the equaliser following a fine Dimitri Foulquier delivery that had crossed the line and the goal stood.          

 The first half finished 1-1 at the Antonio Puchades.

Valencia CF were off to the worst possible start to the second half as Odgaar made it 1-2 to AZ Alkmaar just 15 seconds into the second half.  

Valencia CF tried to settle into the game which saw a high tempo at both ends with Valencia CF looking to get back into the game trying to play through the opposition who forced Giorgi Mamardashvili into a fine stop. 

Moments later, Dimitri Foulquier rattled the crossbar following a fine move down the wing from Lino.   

Alas, Karlson made it 1-3 at the other end with a quickfire goal in the very next move. 

Gattuso fielded a different lineup for the remaining twenty minutes where Valencia CF tried to get back into the game.

Valencia CF were awarded a spot-kick in the 90th minute, up stepped  Guillamón but he was denied by the opposition goalkeeper. The scoreline remained unchanged and Valencia CF’s schedule of winter friendlies ended in defeat. 

 Valencia CF will visit Villarreal CF on New Year’s Eve in the regional derby at the Estadio de La Cerámica where Gennaro Gattuso’s side will try to bid farewell to 2022 with a win over their regional neighbours.  

Match Details:

1. VALENCIA CF: Mamardashvili, Foulquier, Gabriel Paulista, Cenk, Gayà, Nico, Ilaix Moriba, Yunus Musah, Samuel Lino, Kluivert , Hugo Duro. Also played: Iago Herrerín, Thierry, Comert, Diakhaby, Lato, Hugo Guillamón, André Almeida, Tiago, Marcos André, Fran Pérez and Javi Guerra.

3. AZ ALKMAAR: Verhulst, Sugawara, Hatzidiakos, Reijnders, Odgaard, Clasie, Pavlidis, Karlsson, Mihailovic, Beukema, De Wit. Also played: De Jong, Koopmeiners, Evjen, Lahdo, Owusu-Oduro, Dekker, Barasi and Van Brederode.

GOALS: 0-1 Karlsson, 12’; 1-1 Ilaix Moriba, 43; 1-2 Odgaard, 46; 1-3 Karlsson, 63’.

REFEREE: Ortega Herrera.

OBSERVATIONS: Friendly game held at the Antonio Puchades.