Valencia aim to avoid their worst home losing run at Mestalla

Valencia must avoid another defeat at Mestalla to prevent setting the worst run of consecutive home losses in the club’s history within a single season. The club host Athletic on Saturday and need to pick up points to avert that prospect.

Valencia have already suffered three straight defeats in front of their home crowd: 0-1 against Betis, 0-5 against Barcelona, then 2-3 against Real Sociedad. Another loss would be their fourth in a row at Mestalla.

A four-match run of home defeats has occurred once in the club’s history, but it spanned two seasons. At the end of the 2015-2016 season, Valencia lost to Villarreal (0-2) and then Real Sociedad (0-1). The 2016-2017 season began with further defeats, against Las Palmas (2-4) and Betis (2-3).

Saturday’s game therefore offers Valencia the chance to ensure that a run of consecutive home defeats does not, this time, fall within a single season.