Can Valencia Win La Liga?

Can Valencia win La Liga?

It’s nice to think they could—that the decade-long Barcelona-Real Madrid duopoly that was interrupted last season by Atletico Madrid could be disturbed yet again, this time by Los Che.

RAMON ESPINOSA/Associated Press

It was Valencia, don’t forget, who last won the title before Barcelona claimed six and Madrid three of the next nine, and it was their second in three seasons.

Early returns from the current campaign suggest a return to the summit of Spanish football is possible, even if the programme is just seven matches old.

But in those seven matches only Barcelona have recorded more points and conceded fewer goals, and a convincing 3-1 win over holders Atletico the last time out has only further puffed out the chests at Estadio de Mestalla.

It was another match in which everything seemed to go right for Valencia.

Top scorer Paco Alcacer, while not finding the back of the net himself, assisted Andre Gomes’ opener. Playmaker Pablo Piatti also set up a goal by Nicolas Otamendi—and Otamendi’s overall performance once again marked him out as one of La Liga’s best defenders this season.

Goalkeeper Diego Alves, who has been sensational in 2014-15, made four saves and stopped a penalty.

“We have beaten a great team—the defending champions—but it’s just three points,” remarked manager Nuno Espirito Santo to AS (h/t Football Espana), as he tried to keep feet on the ground. “Our character is going out to win, and today we did against a great team.”

Since his July appointment, Nuno has been almost singularly responsible for that infusion of character.

“In these games and all games we have to give 120 percent. That’s what the coach asks,” defender Antonio Barragan told Super Deporte on Saturday, (h/t Football Espana). “The coach is very demanding, and the truth is we try to give our best in every game.”

In their tenacity, organisation and clearheadedness, Valencia are at least comparable to Atletico, who draw on the energy of their own manager, Diego Simeone. There’s a definite parallel between the two clubs, although you get the feeling the bubble could still burst at the Mestalla.

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This is mostly because the much-anticipated takeover by Peter Lim has yet to be made official, even though the Singapore businessman has been operating as Valencia’s de facto owner for some months.

The billions he plans to pour into the club and the new stadium he vowed to complete could certainly lay the groundwork for a sustained period of competitiveness, but for now his promises remain aspirational rather than real.

Still, the prospect of sturdier financial footing has served to buttress the good feeling coming out of the club at the moment, even if the body of work on the pitch is a mere seven-match unbeaten run.

But self-belief, as Atletico have proved, can be an unstoppable force when combined with ability, and so far this season Valencia have benefited from the combination.

Can they win La Liga? Probably not. Not yet, anyway. Although what’s happening at the club stands to be the feel-good story its fans have craved for so long.

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