Valencia ends Athletic Bilbao’s unbeaten run in Spanish league

Gonzalo Guedes, left, celebrates with team mates from 2nd left to right; Ezequiel Garay, Denis Cheryshev and Daniel Wass during the quarterfinal, 1st leg, Europa League soccer match between Villarreal and Valencia at the Ceramica stadium in Villarreal, Spain, Thursday April 11, 2019. (Jose Miguel Fernandez de Velasco/AP)

MADRID — Athletic Bilbao wasted its chance to regain the Spanish league lead when it lost 1-0 to Valencia on Saturday.

Denis Cheryshev scored for Valencia, which ended a three-game winless streak and moved to ninth place.

Athletic stayed fourth, two points behind leader Real Madrid which hosts third-place Atletico Madrid later Saturday in the first capital derby of the season.

Athletic and Real Madrid were the only unbeaten teams in the league entering the weekend. Athletic hadn’t lost at home in 14 consecutive matches

Cheryshev scored from close range after a fast breakaway in the 27th minute at San Mames Stadium.

"I liked how the players responded," Valencia coach Albert Celades said. "We were coming off a sequence of very difficult matches. They put in a great effort."

Valencia had conceded nine goals in its previous three league matches.

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