Alcacer takes no prisoners against Eibar

Penalty spot

It was not long before spirits were soaring at the Mestalla Stadium.  After just nine minutes of play, a foul on Daniel Parejo inside the area gave Valencia CF the chance to put themselves ahead from the penalty spot. It was Paco Alcacer who stepped up to the mark and, although Asier Riesgo got a hand to the ball, the striker was quick to put it away on the rebound.

Valencia on a charge

The Che team looked impressive in defence with some tight marking, the front line keeping up the pressure in attack, hungry for the second. Their reward came in the 27th minute, João Cancelo took off down the right flank and sent a pass back to Alcacer, who hammered another one past Riesgo into the back of the net.

Alcacer for the hat-trick

Hero of the game, Paco Alcacer, still had a taste for more. The Valencia striker left the proceedings all but settled after 40 minutes, nodding in a cross from Rodrigo to bag himself a hat-trick.

Cancelo at his best

The Portuguese player put on his best display to date with the Valencian outfit. Having served up an assist to Alcacer and played a part in the combination for goal number three, he went on to round things off with a fourth for his team. It came 56 minutes into the game, after another brilliant link up with Rodrigo and a great finish to flummox the Eibar goalkeeper.

The 'Ayestaran effect'

The arrival of the new coach on the bench has been a breath of fresh air for Valencia. After a stumble against UD Las Palmas in his debut match, he has since managed to lead his charges to three important successive victories. Prior to Eibar, Sevilla FC and FC Barcelona had also been subjected to the Ayestaran effect.