There could not be a better scenario or a more significant rival or a more epic script to show that Valencia has returned to the select group of the great European teams. Sailing in mediocrity is the sentence that had been serving this team, season after season. For seven years he could not find a place among the best in the continent. He did not resign himself, at times he tried to rebel against an unfair destiny, but he could not. Three seasons of reconstruction, of learning to get up after the blows and a Cup have inoculated in the team that now directs Celades effort, courage and sacrifice. The three essential elements for the feat to which Valencia has added one more: faith.

When fate was more prepared to deny him the prize, these players became more ennobled to bend it. Their opportunity in Europe would not be wasted. Beyond quality, statistics and systems, the great value of Valencianists is to be unavailable to discouragement in the face of enormous challenges.

Valencia jumped to the Johan Cruyff Arena without ballast. Depleted by injuries but firm in the conviction Albert Celades has instilled in them: protect themselves by attacking. Pure Dutch philosophy. In the first minute, a header that was too crossed by Rodrigo warned Onana. With Ferran as the best weapon, the game gained an intense look to which Ajax wanted to respond with a very strong shot of Tadic from the peak of the area taking advantage of a Wass error. Second warning: before these rivals who think faster that they handle the ball there is no time to amend.

The dominance of the Dutch was growing with the minutes. They tried to force the error of that defense that showed so many cracks in Mestalla, taking advantage of Tadic and Ziyech's mobility. And if the plan failed, Ten Hag had ordered to cut any counter by ordering Alvarez to drown Parejo.

Valencia could not get off a sticky Ajax that did not make him suffer in excess. It was just a matter of waiting for the moment. He arrived by the inexhaustible push of Gayà , who got off the hook in attack on a ball lost by Veltman in the front, looked for Ferran on the right and, with a nerve of his own who leads a team, assisted Rodrigo to beat a right-footed shot through the squad to Onana. The expected opportunity had arrived.

Injuries

The Ajax had no choice but to press the accelerator, before which Valencia rubbed his hands. Very focused on not making mistakes, they contained the Dutch team, which forced Jaume Domenech to reach out in a center-shot of Ziyech and Gayà to save a shot of Van de Beek under the break.

In the last minutes, the game opened and another entry by Gayà band found Gameiro on the front to download in a Rodrigo that, this time, did not surprise the Dutch goal. Even Parejo had time to try with a shy shot.

But nothing can be comfortable for Valencia. It is in its nature to cover every achievement of an epic patina. So the second part started with injuries, with more injuries. Paulista's knee failed and he clenched his teeth to continue on the field, something that Gameiro could not do, which forced Celades to look at a patched bench with players from the subsidiary.

The red Paulista

The defeat drove Ajax out of a competition in which he appeared as a semifinalist, so he threw himself in search of a draw. Rodrigo could complicate it with a crossed shot, but soon the Dutch began to play looking for the imbalance of a rival who claimed for the setbacks.

Unable to leave the area, Jaume began to be besieged. Ziyech wasted a ball recovered from Van de Beek behind Wass and Lang a Chilean average almost in the small area. They were getting closer, but also more nervous.

Ajax is not a team accustomed to dealing with anxiety and was adding errors, precipitations and desperate plays, while Valencia struggled not to decompose, especially when Paulista could get nervous and saw the red one. All at once, concentrated because, after the final in Seville, this is the final doctor in Europe.

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