Valencia beat Alaves at Estadio Mendizorrotza on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, in matchday six of La Liga's regular season, with Luis Rioja's 78th-minute goal separating the two sides and giving the visitors all three points.
The first half passed without a goal, the scoreline remaining goalless at the interval. The deadlock was broken in the 78th minute when Luis Rioja found the net for Valencia, and that single strike proved enough for the visitors to secure the win.
Valencia sit 17th in the La Liga table after the result, with four points from six matches, having won one, drawn one and lost four. Their goal difference stands at minus eight, with two scored and ten conceded. Their last five results read as one win followed by four defeats, leaving them in the bottom third of the division.
Alaves, by contrast, sit fourth in the 20-team division, accumulating ten points from six games — three wins, one draw and two losses. They have scored eleven goals and conceded six across those fixtures. Their last five results read as two losses, one win, one win and one draw, and they remain in the top third of the table. The two clubs are currently separated by six points.