MADRID: Sporting Gij­on’s English forward Nick Blackman came off the bench to score the winner as the Spanish second-tier side beat floundering Vale­ncia 2-1 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey last-16 tie on Tuesday.

Blackman, on loan from Derby County, had been on the pitch for under 60 seconds when he headed home from close range after Valencia had failed to properly clear a corner, giving Sporting a famous victory at their Molinon ground.

The hosts had opened the scoring with a close-range shot by Javi Noblejas in the 34th, and Valencia equalised through Dani Parejo’s 45th-minute goal that was confirmed after video review.

Valencia, who are 12th in La Liga with coach Marce­lino under increasing pressure, have the opportunity to turn the tie around in next Tuesday’s second leg at their Mestalla stadium.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2019