Valencia forward Santi Mina. (Photo : Getty Images)
Streaking club Valencia FC (10-13-10, 40 points) continues its push away from the relegation area as it squares off with middling team SD Eibar (11-14-8, 41 points) this Wednesday, April 20th at the Mestalla Stadium for a 2015-2016 La Liga season matchup.
Valencia had been in danger of sinking to the bottom three relegation zone after going on a four-game losing slide. However, after winning two straight games, they are now back in the middle of the pack, at the 12th spot of the league table and 11 points above the danger zone.
Their latest victims were the struggling defending champions FC Barcelona, who they defeated, 2-1, at the Camp Nou last Sunday, as reported by SkySports.
Los Che got an early break via an own goal from Barça midfielder Ivan Rakitic at the 26th minute as he deflected the strike of Valencia defender Guilherme Siqueira off a cross by midfielder Andre Gomes.
Pako Ayestarán's side doubled their lead at the stroke of halftime when striker Santi Mina netted one with a brilliant evasive move to foot slap the ball past Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo inside the penalty area.
Lionel Messi managed to score a consolation goal for the hosts three minutes after the hour mark, but it was all his team could produce in another disappointing loss for the defending champions, their third straight and fourth consecutive winless effort.
Meanwhile, Eibar nipped Real Sociedad, 2-1, last Saturday at the Estadio Municipal de Ipura to finally snap their eight-game winless skid, as per ESPN.
Txuriurdin midfielder David Zurutuza netted the opening goal of the match right at the seventh minute, but Los Armeros striker Sergi Enrich equalized it before halftime with a header from inside the box at the 32nd.
Argentine midfielder Gonzalo Escalante scored the winning goal at the 58th to successfully give manager José Luis Mendilibar's boys their first win in nine games.
Eibar has dropped to 10th place in the league table even after stopping their skid as they comfortably 12 points above the relegation area.
The predicted result is a 2-0 victory for Valencia.
Valencia starting lineup (4-5-1 formation): Alves; Barragan, Mustafi, Abdennour, Siqueira; Rodrigo, Parejo, Fuego, Perez, Gomes; Mina
Eibar starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Riesgo; Capa, Ansotegi, Ramis, Luna; Mauri, Carillo, Escalante, Inui; Enrich, Borja
