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By Andreas Vou (@AndreasVou89)

Valencia’s goalless draw against Villarreal on Sunday not only sees them lose their hold of third spot but also reopens the race for fourth place with tough away fixtures coming up for Los Che.

It was seen as the pick of the fixtures going into the Easter weekend in Spain but the local derby provided very little excitement, and the result could have Nuno Espírito Santo’s men sweating in the league’s final stretch.

Valencia were in a rich vein of form going into the derby having won their previous seven home matches on the bounce, a run which saw them overtake champions Atletico Madrid into third place. However, chances were few and far between for the home side in what was an uncharacteristic dim performance. 

They have been two of the most offensively attractive teams this season but it was not apparent when they went head-to-head on Sunday evening, with just eight shots on goal between them, none of which were clear-cut. Valencia failed to record a single shot on target in the opening 45 minutes and only came alive in the final quarter of an hour with the introduction of Alvaro Negredo who pumped some intensity into their play. But by that time, it was too little too late and Mestalla saw its first goalless match of the season.

It was a game in which the likes of Andre Gomes and Luciano Vietto were expected to star but instead, the show was stolen by two center-backs, one on either side, whose stubborn displays made it difficult for any chances to come to fruition.

For Villarreal, young Eric Bailly read the game exceptionally well and broke up a number of Valencia’s attempts to counter. The 20-year-old who only joined the club from RCD Espanyol in January showed maturity beyond his years to keep out the fourth most potent home team in the league.

For the home side, Nicolas Otamendi made sure his fellow countryman Vietto never left his shadow in what was a dominant defensive display from the former FC Porto player. It was exactly what the local crowd has been accustomed to seeing from the 27-year-old powerhouse, who has been a pivotal player throughout the season.

The 0-0 draw, despite coming against capable opposition, has to be seen as two points dropped. In a weekend where their two nearest rivals both recorded important wins, it is a result which could set up a nerve-wracking finish to the season for Valencia. Not only does Atletico Madrid’s win over Cordoba put Diego Simeone’s side one point above them in the third and final automatic Champions League spot but Sevilla’s 2-0 victory over in-form Athletic Club puts the Andalusians within just three points of Valencia.

Just nine matches remain in La Liga and it is three huge away tests for Valencia which are likely to have a huge say as to whether their campaign ends as a success or a big failure. Their next game is a visit to San Mames to take on an Athletic side who, prior to their defeat against Sevilla on Saturday, won five games on the spin.

Valencia will also be without two key midfielders for that visit. Enzo Perez still has a thigh strain which has kept him out of the last two league games while captain Dani Parejo’s yellow card against Villarreal, his fifth of the campaign, means a suspension.

Their next away match after San Mames will be a dreaded trip to the Camp Nou to take on FC Barcelona while their third from last game of the campaign is a visit to the capital to face Real Madrid. 

Valencia’s return to the higher ends of the table this season has been one of the brightest aspects of La Liga this year following two horrendous campaigns both on and off the field. After finishing fifth and eighth in the last two seasons respectively, a return to Champions League football has looked ever-more likely as this season has progressed.

But such is the nature of La Liga that one negative result can set a team unexpectedly off track, as Valencia found out this weekend, and a tricky few away tests between now and the end of season means that Los Che will have to fight tooth and nail to secure that lucrative top four spot.