Valencia 0-0 Athletic Club: Terzić's side dominate the ball but not the chances

Valencia and Athletic Club played out a 0-0 draw at the Estadio de Mestalla on Saturday, a result that leaves both sides searching for answers in the early weeks of the 2026/27 LaLiga season. The match itself was a study in contrasts: Athletic Club, under new head coach Edin Terzić, enjoyed 63 per cent possession and completed 297 passes in the opposition half, well above their average of 193 across earlier matches this season. Yet they managed just nine shots, two on target, and generated 0.59 expected goals — less than half their earlier average of 1.5.

Valencia, by contrast, had only 37 per cent of the ball but produced 16 shots, five big chances and 1.41 xG. They did not score either, but the underlying numbers suggest they created the better opportunities. The gap between the two sides' chance quality is stark: Valencia's five big chances against Athletic's zero.

Athletic Club's appointment of Terzić on a two-year deal, announced on 5 May 2026, marked a significant shift. The 43-year-old German replaced Ernesto Valverde, who had said in March he would leave after four years. Terzić arrived with a strong pedigree from Borussia Dortmund: a German Cup win in 2021, a narrow miss on the Bundesliga title in 2023 and a Champions League final in 2024.

But the early evidence in LaLiga suggests a side still finding its identity. Their 1.33 points per game so far is a modest return, though the sample is too small to draw firm conclusions. What is clearer is the stylistic shift: more possession, more passes in the opposition half, but fewer goals than the underlying numbers from earlier matches would have predicted.

The question is whether this is a temporary adjustment period or a deeper issue. That control has not yet translated into chances.

Valencia's situation is more urgent. The club sacked Carlos Corberán after failing to win any of their opening five matches, sitting 19th with four points from seven games. On 23 September 2026, they confirmed Javier Aguirre as head coach until the end of the season, with an option for another year. Aguirre, 67, had just led Mexico to the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

They conceded possession but created the better chances, with five big chances to Athletic's none. It was not a victory, but it was a performance that suggests Valencia can compete if they convert their opportunities. The challenge for Aguirre is to turn those chances into points before the relegation zone becomes a more permanent home.

It is tempting to frame this match as a clash between two coaching transitions, but the data from this single game cannot settle the broader questions. Athletic's possession and passing numbers were high, but their chance creation was low. Valencia's chance creation was high, but their finishing was absent. Both sides will point to different aspects of the same 0-0.

The points-per-game comparison between Terzić's current record and Valverde's 2013/14 season is not supported by the evidence available. What is supported is that both clubs have made significant managerial changes in the same window, and both are now navigating the consequences. For Athletic, the question is whether Terzić can turn control into goals. For Valencia, it is whether Aguirre can turn chances into survival. The next few matches will begin to answer both.