Roberto Soldado struck twice in the final three minutes
at the Mestalla to complete his hat-trick and give Valencia
a dramatic 4-3 victory over Racing Santander in their
Primera Division opener.
Soldado had put Los Che ahead in the first minute,
but he put through his own net to level things up six
minutes later and Lautaro Acosta added a second goal
for Racing in the 14th minute.
Adrian Gonzalez made it 3-1 to the visitors 10 minutes
after the break, but Adil Rami reduced the deficit almost
immediately and then Soldado's late brace settled the
topsy-turvy encounter in the hosts' favour.
Valencia, starting life without Juan Mata following
the Spain midfielder's move to Chelsea, made a dream
start and were ahead before a minute was on the clock.
Pablo Hernandez's 20-yard shot was fumbled by Antonio
Tono, and Soldado pounced on the rebound.
Soldado was on the scoresheet again less than six minutes
later, but this time at the wrong end as he headed Kennedy
Bakircioglu's corner past Vicente Guaita.
Racing completed the turnaround in the 14th minute,
Acosta slotting home a low shot from Manuel Arana's
set-up.
Shell-shocked Valencia pushed forward in an attempt
to get back on level terms, Hernandez lashing wide and
Soldado firing over.
Pablo Piatti then saw a left-footed blast parried by
Tono, before Rami headed a Hernandez free-kick wide
and Ever Banega's drive was blocked by Alvaro Gonzalez
as Racing held on until half-time.
Adrian extended that lead 10 minutes into the second
half, his effort finding the bottom-left corner from
12 yards.
A minute later Valencia were right back in it, though,
as Rami headed Hernandez's cross into the top corner.
Los Che then had three chances in quick succession
to get back on level terms, but were denied on all three
occasions by Tono.
The Racing stopper first tipped over a powerful Soldado
header, then caught another header from Rami and parried
a Soldado shot.
It looked like it would not be Valencia's night when
substitute Jonas struck the post in the 73rd minute,
but Soldado's late intervention changed all that.
He first latched onto Jonas' pass and placed his shot
into the bottom-left corner in the 88th minute, and
then two minutes later prodded home Jordi Alba's left-wing
cross to complete a stunning turnaround.
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