Valencia continued their solid start to the season and climbed to second in La Liga when recent Spain recruit Paco Alcacer set them on their way to a 3-0 win at Getafe on Monday.
Forward Alcacer, who scored on his competitive Spain debut in this month’s 5-1 Euro 2016 qualification victory over Macedonia, fired Valencia ahead in the seventh minute at Getafe’s Coliseum Alfonso Perez in the Madrid suburbs.
Midfielder Andre Gomes made it 2-0 in the 20th minute.
Photo: EPA
Striker Rodrigo had an eventful second half when he netted a 72nd-minute penalty, before earning a second yellow card and getting sent off a minute later.
The victory lifted Valencia into second place after four matches, level on 10 points with Sevilla and two behind early leaders Barcelona, the only team with a 100 percent record.
Four-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi starred as Barca scored a thumping 5-0 win at Levante UD on Sunday, while champions Atletico Madrid have eight points in fourth following Saturday’s 2-2 draw at home to RC Celta de Vigo.
Photo: EPA
Real Madrid are seventh on six points after they hammered hapless RC Deportivo de La Coruna 8-2 on Saturday to help the stuttering European champions put consecutive La Liga defeats behind them.
Hopes are high at Valencia, who failed to qualify for Europe last season, that a takeover by Singapore billionaire Peter Lim will help the club put years of financial woes behind them, transforming them into genuine challengers in domestic and continental competition.
Lim’s purchase of the club is close to completion, although reports in Spain have said talks with Valencia’s main creditor, Bankia, have broken down.
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