• Classification: This is group H

He attacks and finishes any ball that rounds him with a voracity that some equals that of the best Luis Suarez, but to Maxi Gómez (Nuevo Paysandú, 1996) the comparison seems exaggerated. The Uruguayan, at 23, is still far from his idol, although he takes steps to reach him. The first, score in the Champions League. This Tuesday against Lille, Valencia needs their goals to continue fighting to leave Chelsea or Ajax on their way to the eighths. A puncture against the French would make the classification almost a chimera.

After two years in Celta, Maxi Gómez arrived last summer at Mestalla by the commitment of Marcelino García Toral. He needed a auctioneer to close the perfect circle, his commitment to direct play. The investment was crack: 14.5 million, one and a half more in variables, the transfer of Santi Mina and the transfer of a young central. Total, 30 million euros . Peter Lim only paid more money for Guedes.

With an average of more than 15 goals in his two seasons in Celta, Valencia could only hunt the player who already claimed the Premier League with a trick: the Champions League. "Before the Champions played it on the Play and now I'm going to play it," he said in his presentation. Once the debut, in 70 minutes of the match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, the Uruguayan already only thinks of premiering as a scorer. His numbers in the League support him.

Start as substitute

Maxi, despite being the weapon in attack that Marcelino wanted, started the course on the bench. It was with the arrival of Albert Celades when he began to win minutes and score goals to become, with five, in the second Valencian top scorer, behind Parejo . He scored Barcelona, ​​Getafe (2), Alavés and Espanyol in just 12 shots, which gives an average of 2.4 per goal. Every game and a half, the Uruguayan sees the door. Repeat the trend that he pointed out at the start of his two seasons in Vigo and reflects the effectiveness that Roberto Soldado showed in Mestalla in 2010. Since then, no center forward has had that contribution.

Such has been his fit in the team that even Rodrigo has had to vary his position , playing more in the position of second point that links with the center of the field, taking advantage of second plays. Now the charrúa assumes the position of nine. Both are demonstrating a profitable rapport.

Maxi's specialty is the testarazos. It is together with his compatriot Christian Stuani, one of the best specialists in head shots in the Spanish League. The Valencianista has scored 15 points in the last three seasons, while the Girona striker has added16.

30% of Valencia goals

Almost 30% of the goals in favor of Valencia in the League have the signature of Maxi Gómez, who will be tested on Tuesday to try to straighten the poor statistics of the Celades team, who has only scored two goals in the three matches played against Chelsea, Ajax and Lille. It is the third team that finishes off the door of the competition, something that will have to be amended if you want to be in the eighths .

In that task, Gameiro , recently recovered, can contribute but not Soler, Guedes and Coquelin, whose injuries are setbacks to those who will have to overcome. Nor will Diakhaby be sanctioned.

A victory against Lille, which has not won far from its stadium since last March , is essential to try to get alive to Chelsea's visit to Mestalla at the end of the month, where Valencia's costumes believe the classification can be For the next phase.

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