Valencia 4-2 BATE Borisov

Valencia completed a Champions
League double over BATE Borisov to
stay level on points at the top of Group
F.
Goals from Jonas Oliveira and Roberto
Soldado in four first-half minutes, the
latter from the penalty spot, put the
Spanish side on top at the Mestalla.
And Sofiane Feghouli's second-half
brace sealed victory as BATE
threatened a comeback through star
man Renan Bressan and Dmitri
Mozolevski.
The win takes Valencia to nine points
from four games, though they remain
second behind Bayern Munich having
lost 2-1 at the Allianz Arena in
September.
Egor Filipenko blocked Jonas Oliveira's
early shot and Feghouli was similarly
denied by Artem Radkov.
Keeper Andrey Gorbunov held
Soldado's shot before BATE
threatened for the first time, Bressan's
long-range shot blocked by Ricardo
Costa.
Tino Costa fired wide for Valencia but
when the breakthrough came, it was
emphatic.
First Jonas thrashed home Tino Costa's
pass to open the scoring and then
three minutes later, Denis Polyakov
fouled Andres Guardado in the area
and Soldado tucked away the resulting
penalty.
Vitaly Rodionov denied Feghouli from
Tino Costa's corner and defender Adil
Rami hammered wide from long
range.
Bressan was responsible for almost all
of BATE's attacking efforts in the first
half and had two long-range efforts
saved, the first a free-kick, before a
third strike flew wide.
Feghouli's lob dropped wide before
Gorbunov saved Jonas' stoppage-time
header.
Tino Costa fired a free-kick over the bar
early in the second half before
Feghouli made it 3-0, finishing from
the edge of the box after he was set up
by Fernando Gago.
BATE pulled a goal back, inevitably
through Bressan as he swung in a free-
kick from the left which curled directly
into the bottom corner of the net.
Ricardo Costa missed from close range
before Valencia keeper Vicente Guaita
saved from Bressan and Rodionov at
the other end.
A tense finish was in prospect when
Rodionov teed up Mozolevski to cut
the deficit to a single goal with seven
minutes remaining, the Belarusian side
finally showing the form which had
brought them opening wins over Lille
and Bayern.
But Valencia quickly responded, Nelson
Valdez shooting wide before Ever
Banega set up Feghouli to make the
game safe in the 86th minute.