Emery: Valencia beaten by better team

Valencia coach Unai Emery said his side’s 1-0 defeat to Champions League qualification rivals Malaga on Sunday was a fair result.

Ignacio Camacho scored the only goal of the game in the first half at La Rosaleda to help Manuel Pellegrini’s side move level on points with their third-placed rivals.

But according to the 40-year-old Emery, the turning point of the contest came midway through the second half, when former Grenoble starlet Sofiane Feghouli was sent off.

“The team failed after going a man down,” Emery told reporters after the match.

“The goal gave (Malaga) peace of mind. They began to feel comfortable and did not have to tighten their grip on the match.

“It is a bad defeat, but a just result on the scoreboard.”

Emery insisted he sent his team out with the hope that they would leave with all three points, and acknowledged Malaga are now back into contention for an automatic Champions League qualifying spot.

“We played with the intention of winning, but if we couldn’t achieve that, then a draw would not have been bad,” he said.

“Worst of all, we have now left Malaga fighting with us for third place, but fortunately it’s still in our hands.”

Valencia are still to play Osasuna, Villarreal and Real Sociedad in the run-in, while Malaga have to face Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Sporting Gijon in their final three games of the La Liga season.