Soccer

Home defeat to Valencia leaves Swansea with some work to do

Welsh club’s bid to qualify for last 32 will go down to final group game

Sergio Canales of Valencia challenges Swansea’s Angel Rangel for the ball during the Europa League Group A match at the Liberty Stadium, Swansea. Photo: Geoff Caddick/EPA

Fri Nov 29 2013 - 01:56

Swansea 0 Valencia 1

A controversial offside decision means Swansea's quest to secure a place in the knockout stages of the Europa League will go down to the wire after defeat to Valencia at the Liberty Stadium last night

A draw would have been enough to take Swansea through from Group A with a game to spare, but they fell behind to Daniel Parejo’s 20th-minute strike and then lost striker Wilfried Bony to a worrying hamstring injury.

They thought Alvaro Vazquez had levelled just before the break when Diego Alves could not hold Jonjo Shelvey's shot and the Spaniard tapped in.

Offside flag
But the offside flag went up despite replays suggesting the two Swansea players were onside. If the goal had stood, it would have been enough to seal a spot in the last 32, but instead Swansea must wait until their final game against St Gallen to discover their fate.

Michael Laudrup’s side are three points clear of third-placed Kuban Krasnodar, with the Russians having to go to group winners Valencia in the final round and Swansea three goals better off.

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Valencia were much improved from the first meeting between these two sides when Swansea triumphed 3-0 in Spain and the visitors deserved their lead.

Gerhard Tremmel did not deal with a Sergio Canales corner and Parejo slotted home when Juan Bernat’s deflected shot fell to him.

Parejo went close to a second and forced Tremmel into a sprawling save before Swansea saw Bony head off after he pulled up while chasing a long ball.

Key moment
The game's key moment soon arrived as Bony's replacement Vazquez finished from close range after Shelvey could not find the net, but the flag went up to Swansea's fury. And the Welsh club's unfortunate night was summed up when Jeremy Mathieu cleared a goal-bound effort off the line and Angel Rangel limped off in the dying minutes.
SWANSEA CITY: Tremmel, Rangel, Chico, Amat, Taylor, Dyer (Hernandez 66), Britton, Shelvey, Lamah (de Guzman 46), Pozuelo, Bony (Vazquez 42). Subs not used: Vorm, Williams, Tiendalli, Canas. Booked: Rangel, Vazquez, Shelvey.
VALENCIA: Diego Alves, Joao Pereira, Victor Ruiz, Mathieu, Guardado, Feghouli (Piatti 68), Parejo, Romeu, Bernat, Jonas (Postiga 76), Canales (Javi Fuego 84). Subs not used: Jaume, Alcacer, Ricardo Costa, Michel. Booked: Guardado,Jonas,Parejo.
Attendance: 17,000
Referee: Luca Banti (Italy).

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