Valencia surged to a commanding 3-0 win over Getafe at Estadio Mestalla, stretching their unbeaten streak to 10 matches for the first time since 2019 and enhancing their prospects for European qualification.
Their stronghold at home continues, having now claimed victory in seven of their last nine LaLiga outings in front of their fans.
The evening began in dramatic fashion for Getafe, who fell behind inside the first eight minutes.
Pepelu drew and expertly converted a penalty after Omar Alderete brought him down with a clumsy tackle, smashing the ball past David Soria into the bottom corner.
Alderete came close to atoning for his error with a thunderous free-kick that tested Giorgi Mamardashvili, forcing the Valencia keeper into an acrobatic double-handed stop.
But the defender’s woes only worsened when he inadvertently redirected Diego Lopez’s strike into his own net, despite Soria getting a touch on the shot.
Valencia could have put the game to bed before the break when Andre Almeida latched onto a precise through pass, but his tame finish was easily gathered by Soria.
The hosts didn’t have to wait long to extend their lead, though. Domingos Duarte clattered into Hugo Duro inside the box, and the striker stepped up to dispatch the penalty coolly into the bottom-left corner.
Getafe nearly pulled one back before halftime when Peter Federico’s header looked destined for goal, only for Mamardashvili to produce a stunning save in stoppage time, preserving Valencia’s commanding three-goal advantage at the interval.
After the break, Los Ches remained in control, with Duro nearly grabbing his second with a powerful header from close range.
Getafe boss José Bordalás responded with four substitutions in a bid to reverse his side’s fortunes, but the visitors struggled to break free from Valencia’s stranglehold.
The defeat marked Getafe’s third straight loss, each one seeing them concede before halftime, and extended their barren run at the Mestalla to six years, their last win there dating back to April 2018.
For Carlos Corberan, who stepped in back in December to steer Valencia clear of relegation concerns, this remarkable unbeaten run has now placed them on the cusp of European football, with just three matches remaining in the league campaign.