Valencia and Athletic Club played out a goalless draw at Mestalla on Saturday, with the hosts missing several clear opportunities to secure all three points in their LaLiga encounter.
Despite enjoying less possession, Valencia created the better scoring chances but were let down by their finishing.
Athletic, meanwhile, dominated the ball without finding a way past the home side’s defence.
Valencia registered 16 shots against Athletic’s nine and recorded an expected goals figure of 1.46 compared to the visitors’ 0.59.
The hosts also created five big chances but failed to convert any of them.
Athletic enjoyed 63 per cent possession and completed 567 passes, but their dominance did not translate into enough clear opportunities, with just two shots on target throughout the match.
The encounter attracted 43,223 spectators to Mestalla, where both teams struggled to find the decisive goal despite an engaging contest.
Valencia increased their attacking intensity after the break, recording an expected goals figure of 1.06 in the second half alone.
However, their inability to take advantage of promising openings ultimately cost them victory.
David Otorbi missed two big chances after coming on as a substitute, while Javier Guerra and Arnaut Danjuma also failed to capitalise on clear opportunities.
Captain José Luis Gayà similarly missed a late chance that could have secured the win.
Athletic struggled to produce a similar attacking threat, despite recording 30 touches inside Valencia’s penalty area.
Their crossing was also ineffective, with only three of their 24 deliveries finding a teammate.
Both sides started with a 4-2-3-1 formation, but Valencia’s aggressive approach and effectiveness in individual duels helped them frustrate the visitors.
The home side made attacking changes in the second half, introducing Otorbi and Luis Rioja in the 54th minute to inject more energy into their forward play.
Athletic also made several substitutions in an attempt to change the course of the contest, but neither team could find a breakthrough.
Valencia’s defensive organisation proved crucial in preserving the clean sheet. César Tárrega produced an impressive performance at the back, making six clearances and registering a clearance off the line.
Goalkeepers Unai Simón and Stole Dimitrievski also played their part.
Simón made three saves for Athletic, while Dimitrievski recorded one save for Valencia as both sides kept their opponents scoreless.
Pablo Maffeo emerged as Valencia’s standout performer, delivering an influential display at right-back.
He won nine of his 10 duels, made nine ball recoveries and contributed four tackles, including a crucial intervention to stop a promising Athletic attack.
Maffeo also completed 25 passes from 36 attempts and created two key passes, combining defensive discipline with attacking intent.
He finished among the highest-rated players on the pitch, ahead of Tárrega and Simón, who also impressed in their respective roles.
The result reflected Valencia’s missed opportunities and Athletic’s inability to turn possession into clear-cut chances.
While the hosts had the better openings to win the game, their wastefulness in front of goal ensured the points were shared.
