VALENCIA // The Valencia coach Unai Emery hopes his side's first-leg win over Real Madrid in the Supercopa on Sunday is a sign of things to come this season.
After a traumatic campaign last year, Valencia showed the qualities Emery is looking for after bouncing back from a half-time deficit to defeat champions Madrid 3-2 at the Mestalla.
Real's Ruud van Nistelrooy opened the scoring in 13th minute and then drew the teams level again at 2-2 in the 67th minute, but second-half goals from Juan Mata, David Villa and Vicente earned Valencia a slender advantage.
Emery, who left Almeria to take over the reins at Valencia this summer, knows it is still early days, but believes his new side are on the right path to avoid a repeat of last season's relegation battle.
"We are, bit by bit, trying to provide calm to the team so they can express themselves with confidence," said Emery.
"They were all comfortable on the pitch, they had good motivation and had a great bond with the fans. The team have shown their best side."
He added: "What we have seen against Real Madrid is the identity that we want our team to show.
"To maintain this is not easy, but it is the path that we want." Madrid coach Bernd Schuster was also impressed.
He said: "Valencia are coming back to being the team we expect them to be. None of us understood what happened to them last year."
* Agencies
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hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
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All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE (+4 GMT) unless stated
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Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
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CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
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