25 November,2010 08:53 AM IST | | Agencies
Valencia crushed Turkish champions Bursaspor 6-1 at the Mestalla Stadium in the Champions League Group C match on Wednesday to book their place in the knockout phase of the competition.
Valencia, finalists in 2001 and 2002, scored three goals inside the first half an hour to demoralise debutants Bursaspor and guarantee a top-two finish after Rangers saw their hopes go up in smoke with a 1-0 home defeat against Manchester United.
Three goals in 13 minutes did the trick for Valencia. Juan Mata opened the scoring via a 17th-minute penalty before Roberto Soldado completed a fine team move on 21 minutes and Aritz Aduriz notched a third on the half hour.
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| Valencia's midfielder Joaquin Sanchez celebrates after scoring against Bursaspor. AFP PHOTO / JOSE JORDAN |
Pablo Batalla pulled a goal back for the hapless visitors - their first of the campaign - but substitute Alejandro Dominguez restored Valencia's five-goal advantage with 12 minutes remaining.
The victory leaves Valencia three points behind United and the two sides will contest top spot in the final group match at Old Trafford on December 7, when only a victory will be good enough for Valencia.
"The objective was obviously to reach the knockout phase but we want to do it as group winners," said Valencia coach Unai Emery. "We have the opportunity to achieve it on the perfect stage against a team (Manchester United) that beat us at the Mestalla.
"We had a lot of respect for Bursaspor and we wanted to play with intensity from the start. In the end it was a big win that leaves the team and the fans happy."
Bursaspor were left licking their wounds after another heavy defeat and their maiden Champions League campaign has been a disaster, with no points and one goal from their five group games so far.
The Turks had a glorious chance to score first on nine minutes when Sercan Yildirim raced onto a ball over the top but the forward lacked composure and his lob floated just wide.
Valencia were gifted a penalty on 17 minutes when Aduriz had his feet taken away from him in the area as he cut back to go inside and the referee pointed to the spot.
Mata thumped in an unstoppable spot-kick and the goal opened up the floodgates.
The lively Mata created the second goal, feeding a delightful pass to Soldado, who made no mistake with a fierce shot into the top corner.
Goalkeeper Miguel Moya hobbled off injured but all the action was taking place at the other end of the pitch, with Soldado going close again before Aduriz got his name on the scoresheet on the half-hour mark.
The visitors were pining for the half-time break, but Joaquin curled in a fine fourth goal and Valencia went into the interval 4-0 up.
It was more of the same in the second half with Soldado, scorer of two goals in the last group match against Rangers, completing another brace after 10 minutes.
Argentine substitute Batalla ended his side's goal drought, netting on 69 minutes to claim the club's first ever goal in the competition after over seven hours of waiting.
Dominguez added a sixth for Valencia on 78 minutes as the hosts cruised into the knockout phase.
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