Valencia and Athletic Share a Goalless Draw at Mestalla
Valencia pressed for a winner in the second half but Athletic held firm, leaving Javier Aguirre's side still without a win since taking charge.
Valencia and Athletic Club played out a 0-0 draw at Mestalla on Saturday in front of 43,223 spectators on Matchday 9 of LaLiga 2026-27, according to Valencia's official match report.
A cautious start, then pressure
Valencia pressed well early and created the first arrivals, the club says: Gayà got into the box and played in Hugo Duro, whose touch was forced. Spanish outlet Actualidad Valencia describes Athletic as controlling the tempo with possession in the first half while Valencia played more cautiously, then pushing higher after half-time.
Six minutes into the second half, Danjuma had a clear chance on the counterattack but shot wide, per the club. Unai Simón then saved efforts from Gayà and Javi Guerra, and an Otorbi shot was blocked by Athletic's defence. Around the 80th minute Guerra came close again after a move involving Otorbi and Elliott.
Athletic's counter-threat
Athletic relied on quick transitions. Iñaki Williams shot along the ground against the right post and Dimitrievski had to stretch to save it, the club report says, and a Navarro shot was cleared off the line by Tárrega.
Actualidad Valencia judged that Valencia's late push produced a sense of danger but "sin ocasiones claras suficientes" to break the deadlock.
Milestone
Gayà reached 350 LaLiga appearances for Valencia, per the club.
What it means
Actualidad Valencia reports that Valencia remain in the relegation zone and have now drawn twice since Javier Aguirre took over, without a win under him. The same outlet describes this as Athletic's third consecutive 0-0, with a solid defence but problems in front of goal.
Valencia host Villarreal on Saturday 24 October at 18:30, according to the club.