EUROPE LEAGUE Stoke City 0 Valencia 1:TONY PULIS has transformed Stoke's fortunes over the course of the past six seasons but he will need to produce a result in the second leg to surpass anything he has achieved so far as manager if they are to proceed to the last 16 of the Europa League.
Mehmet Topal’s splendid first-half goal gave a slick Valencia side only their second victory on English soil in 16 attempts and leaves Stoke facing a daunting task at the Mestalla.
It was impossible to fault Stoke’s effort but Pulis’s pre-match warning that Valencia represented a step up from anything they had faced in the competition in their previous five ties held true
As well as playing the easy-on-the-eye football that had been expected from them, Valencia showed they were capable of standing up to the physical challenge.
While the contrast in playing styles made for an intriguing spectacle, the behaviour of the two managers on the touchline was every bit as entertaining. At times it was like a comedy show as Unai Emery danced around in front of the Valencia dugout, complaining about everything from Andy Wilkinson’s robust challenges to Rory Delap’s use of a towel before his long throws, while Pulis paced up and down his technical area and threw his arms around appealing for penalty kicks and fouls that never came.
On the pitch, Stoke started brightly and could have taken the lead inside the opening 30 seconds when Jon Walters escaped in the right channel only to drag his angled shot wide of the far upright. They had another decent chance in the 14th minute when Delap’s first long throw of the evening caused consternation in the Valencia penalty area and could easily have ended up in the back net had Walters, who was ghosting in on the back post, been able to get a touch to the ball that bounced inside the six-yard box.
Thereafter, however, Valencia began to show their class. The visitors started to control possession, their slick passing and fluid movement helping to create the sort of opportunity that Jonas Goncalves so nearly scored from when his left-footed shot was beaten away by Asmir Begovic at the near post.
The Stoke keeper, was however, unable to do anything about the majestic strike that Topal thumped past him in the 36th minute, the midfielder’s 30-yard drive arrowing into the top corner. It was so impressive that there was even a ripple of applause from the Stoke supporters.
Peter Crouch, whom Pulis felt was pushed in the Valencia area earlier in the first half, acrobatically volleyed over moments later, although that came against the run of play, with Emery’s side looking comfortable.
There was more urgency about Stoke after the restart, yet it was Valencia that came closest to scoring the second goal when Sofiane Feghouli’s left-footed shot coming back off the upright after he cut inside Andy Wilkinson. It was a reprieve but Stoke have a mountain to climb in Valencia.
Guardian Service
STOKE CITY:Begovic, Huth, Shawcross, Wilkinson, Wilson (Shotton, 69), Pennant, Delap, Etherington, Palacios, (Whitehead, 53), Walters, Crouch (Jerome, 69). Subs not used: Sorensne, Whelan, Jones, Fuller. Booked: Shawcross, Wilkinson, Etherington, Palacios, Walters
VALENCIA: Guaita, Bruno (Miguel, 81), Rami, Angel Dealbert, Mathieu, Topal, Feghouli, Facundo Costa, Olivera, Aduriz (Soldado, 77), Piatti (Bernant, 88). Subs not used: Diego Alves, Ruiz, Miguel, Banenga. Booked: Rami, Facundo Costa,
Referee: P Rasmussen(Den)
