Nigerian forward, Umar Sadiq continued his impressive form for Valencia, scoring a vital equalizer in their 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Saturday.
Sadiq, 28, currently on loan from Real Sociedad, came off the bench to rescue a point for Los Che, netting his fifth goal of the season just nine minutes after being introduced.
His effort cancelled out an earlier own goal by Valencia defender César Tárrega, which had gifted the hosts the lead shortly before halftime.
Valencia manager Carlos Corberán had initially opted for a front two of Hugo Duro and Diego López, with Sadiq starting from the bench.
However, with his side trailing and struggling to break down Rayo’s defence, Corberán introduced the Nigerian in the 66th minute, replacing Portuguese midfielder André Almeida.
Sadiq wasted no time making an impact. In the 75th minute, he timed his run perfectly to meet a low cross inside the box for his 5th goal in 10 La Liga appearances.
His goals have directly earned Valencia six points a valuable contribution to their push to finish strong this season.
However, Sadiq picked up his fifth yellow card of the season during the match, ruling him out of Valencia’s next league fixture a crucial midtable clash against Espanyol on Tuesday at the Mestalla.
Despite the setback, Valencia extended their unbeaten run in La Liga to seven matches their joint-longest streak since December 2021 with Sadiq playing a pivotal role in that resurgence.
With Sadiq’s return proving pivotal, the Nigerian forward could be in contention for the Super Eagles ahead of upcoming international fixtures in May, especially if he continues to show the kind of form that has revitalized Valencia’s attack in recent weeks.
