Substitute Rioja scores on return to former club as Valencia beat Alavés 1-0

Valencia picked up their first LaLiga win of the season at the ground of the club Luis Rioja left only months earlier. Introduced as a 63rd-minute substitute, Rioja scored in the 78th minute — a right-footed finish from the centre of the box, set up by Javi Guerra — to beat Alavés 1-0 at Mendizorroza. He was withdrawn injured shortly after the goal, but the damage to the home side was already done.

A return goal for Rioja

Rioja spent five seasons at Alavés, made 189 appearances for the club and was one of its captains before joining Valencia this summer. Coming off the bench to score the winner against the side he left, on the day Valencia needed a result more than at any point this season, is the kind of return story that writes itself — even if an injury cut his celebrations short.

The run this win ended

That run — one draw and four straight defeats, a single goal scored in five matches — cost Carlos Corberán his job during the week, with Óscar Sánchez taking temporary charge of the first team. Rioja's goal gave the caretaker a winning start in his first match in charge.

Match stats

Line-ups

Alavés lined up in a 3-5-2 with Sivera in goal, Tenaglia, Valentini and Koski across the back three, Ángel P., Rebbach, Blanco, Denis Suárez and Ibáñez across midfield, and Martínez and Boyé up front. Valencia set up in a 4-2-3-1 with Dimitrievski in goal, Maffeo, De Haas, Mayol and Gayà at the back, Pepelu and Guido Rodríguez holding, and Danjuma, Ugrinic and Javi Guerra in behind Hugo Duro. Rioja was among the substitutes.

Where it leaves the table

Valencia went into the round bottom of LaLiga on a single point from five matches, without a win all season. This victory takes them to 4 points and ends the losing run that led to the change of coach. Alavés, who had lost only once all season before this — away at Racing Santander — sit on 10 points from six matches, held without a shot on target despite having 15 attempts of their own.