Super Eagles striker, Umar Sadiq has admitted that his equaliser in Valencia’s 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano wasn’t as straightforward as it looked.
According to the Nigerian forward, the goal required quick improvisation in a split-second situation.
Valencia made the trip to Estadio de Vallecas on Saturday in search of crucial points but found themselves trailing just before halftime after César Tarrega inadvertently turned a Pedro Diaz cross into his own net under pressure from Rayo’s Randy Nteka.
Sadiq, who began the match on the bench, was introduced in the 66th minute by head coach Carlos Corberán. Just nine minutes later, he made his mark.
The 28-year-old darted toward a low cross inside the box and attempted to guide the ball home, only to see it crash against the post.
From a seated position after the initial effort, Sadiq reacted instinctively using his head to guide the rebound past the scrambling goalkeeper and into the net.
“It was not easy,” Sadiq said after the match. “I ran into the first post, I touched the ball, it hit the goal and came back to me. It was supposed to go in at first, but it came back to me again. So it was not an easy goal.”
The goal was Sadiq’s fifth in 12 league appearances since joining Los Che on loan from Real Sociedad in January.
Umar Sadiq has not only helped Valencia steer clear of relegation concerns but also sparked talks of a potential push for European qualification.
However, Valencia will have to cope without him in their next outing against Espanyol, as he picked up his fifth yellow card of the season and is suspended.
