Mestalla had this derby won and lost it in the cruellest order imaginable. Valencia led from a first-half penalty, survived with their lead intact deep into the second half, and played the closing stages with the momentum of a red card running their way. It still was not enough. Alex Freeman's header levelled it, and in the sixth minute of stoppage time Georges Mikautadze broke clear to give Villarreal a 2-1 win that silenced the stadium — and deepened a crisis that now has Valencia second from bottom.
A Derby Valencia Somehow Led
The afternoon started badly for the hosts before it started at all. Eleven minutes in, David Otorbi — handed his first start — was carried off on a stretcher with a muscle injury, and Dani Raba came on in his place. Villarreal controlled everything that followed: they would finish with 61.5 percent of the ball and 19 shots to Valencia's nine, and they peppered the home goal through a one-sided first half.
And yet Valencia led at the break. On 34 minutes Raba went down in the area under a stamp from Renato Veiga; the referee checked the VAR monitor and pointed to the spot. Pepelu, with Valencia's first effort of the match on or off target, smashed the penalty high into the net beyond Peter Gulacsi. Mestalla, which had been whistling its own team minutes earlier, roared its side in ahead.
Freeman Levels, Then the Game Turns to Chaos
Valencia thought they had breathing room on 55 minutes when César Tárrega swept home from a corner, but the goal was ruled out for an offside against Raba — a marginal call that kept the derby at one. Villarreal's changes moved the game. Sergi Cardona came on and, with 20 minutes left, delivered the cross that Alex Freeman powered home through a crowd for 1-1. Freeman, the American defender, was Flashscore's man of the match.
Then came the madness. Pape Gueye was shown a straight red card for an elbow on captain José Gayà, leaving Villarreal with 10 men and Valencia with the win in front of them. Instead, the hosts threw the advantage straight back: Harvey Elliott, already booked, talked his way into a second yellow on 89 minutes for protesting, and the numbers were level again. Seven minutes were added.
Mikautadze at 90'+6'
Villarreal had introduced Georges Mikautadze from the bench midway through the second half, and in the sixth minute of added time he decided the derby. Alberto Moleiro sent him clear on the counter, the Georgian striker beat Tárrega and buried a left-footed finish past Stole Dimitrievski — his fifth goal of the season — in front of a stunned Mestalla. It was Villarreal's second competitive away win of the season.
The cost to Valencia is written in the table. They stay 19th, second from bottom on six points, and it is now seven home games without a victory (three draws, four defeats). This was also Javier Aguirre's first defeat in charge — a derby lost at the last possible moment after leading against 10 men. Villarreal move eighth on 12 points, and have now gone six head-to-heads unbeaten against their neighbours (two draws, four wins).
Derbies are supposed to hurt, but this one hurt in stages: an injured debutant, a penalty out of nowhere, a disallowed second, a red card that should have sealed it — and a 96th-minute winner for the visitors anyway. Mestalla has seen some cruel afternoons. This one is on the list.
Full box score and play-by-play: Gamecast — Valencia vs Villarreal. More: Sports front · Stats Hub
More football is on our Sports front and the Champions League hub.
