Valencia paid the price for a poor defensive display as Osasuna snatched a dramatic 3-3 draw on Monday.
Hosts held at Mestalla as Osasuna produce impressive comeback
Valencia paid the price for a poor defensive display as visiting Osasuna snatched a dramatic 3-3 Primera Liga draw on Monday evening.
Roberto Soldado and Marius Stankevicius put the home side 2-0 ahead before Juanfran reduced the gap. Aritz Aduriz, however, put Valencia 3-1 up before the break.
Miguel Flano pulled another back and Carlos Aranda was on hand in the 87th minute to power home the equaliser.
An extremely quiet opening saw Soldado have the only effort of the first 22 minutes, with Ricardo saving his 12-yard shot in the fourth.
The second attempt resulted in Valencia opening the scoring. Juan Mata fed a low ball into the box for Soldado to sweep home left-footed.
Their next effort was an Ever Banega shot from outside the penalty area which Ricardo managed to clear, but seconds later it was 2-0.
Joaquin fired in a corner from the left which Stankevicius reacted to first to knock home at the near post.
Comeback
Osasuna made a comeback with their first attempt. Shojaei Massoud sent the ball in from the left wing for Juanfran to get on the end of and power into the roof of the net.
Two minutes later, though, Valencia's two-goal lead was restored.
Again it was from a Joaquin corner. The winger took another kick from the left for Aduriz to nod into the bottom corner of the net from close-range.
A lukewarm start to the second period was ended when Osasuna made it 3-2, Flano firing home past Cesar in the home side's goal from 12 yards.
Osasuna were pushing for the leveller and Dejan Lekic headed against the post in the 79th minute.
The equaliser did come less than four minutes from time, however, as Aranda fired home left-footed into the bottom left corner from 12 yards to infuriate the home support.
