Valencia vs Sporting Gijon 16/01/19

16 January 2019

The return-leg clash of the Copa del Rey round of 16 will see Valencia welcoming Sporting Gijon to the Estadio de Mestalla trying to bounce back from a 2-1 loss in the first leg.

Still winless in 2019 (D1, L2), the Bats are looking to extend a seven-game home unbeaten run in all competitions (W5, D2). However, considering they’ve failed to beat Gijon in five of their last six H2H meetings at home (W1, D3, L2), Valencia will have to step up their game on both ends. The Oranges have struggled to keep a clean sheet in the previous seven competitive encounters, conceding over 1.5 goals per match twice in the process. But, in that period, Marcelino Garcia Toral’s men have found the back of the net in each clash, scoring over 1.5 goals per game only twice though. Three of Valencia’s last four matches have finished with the identical 2-1 scoreline, but just one of these went in their favor.

On the other hand, the visitors come into this meeting after a 1-1 road draw with Albacete in Segunda Division, which was their fourth successive stalemate on the road. Still uncomfortable away from home, Jose Alberto’s men have secured just one triumph on 11 road trips in La Liga 2, which puts them among the worst visiting sides in the Spanish second tier (W1, D5, L5). Although they’ve won just four of their last nine competitive outings (W4, D4, L1), the Rojiblancos were the ones to break the deadlock in each of seven games that didn’t end 0-0 in that period. Only two of Gijon’s last six competitive races have produced over 2.5 goals, with Gijon scoring over 1.5 goals per match just once in the process.