Valencia 7 : 0 Genk - Soldado treble sinks Genk

Posted Wednesday, November 23, 2011 by PA

Roberto Soldado blasted a first-half hat-trick as Valencia swept aside minnows Genk 7-0 in UEFA Champions League Group E to set up a winner-takes-all showdown at Stamford Bridge.

The Spanish side's Mestalla goal glut was enough to put them level on points with Chelsea and they will head to London next month knowing a draw will be enough to go through.

The home side needed just 10 minutes to open the scoring against the winless Belgians, Brazilian Jonas applying his head to an Tino Costa free-kick to nod home from six yards.

Kevin De Bruyne had a rare shot blocked for Genk before Valencia went further ahead in the 13th minute, Roberto Soldado netting his first from 12 yards after Jonas threaded the ball in from the right channel.

Anxious to erase the memory of Saturday's La Liga loss to Real Madrid, the hosts continued pressing with Costa forcing Genk keeper Laszlo Koteles to tip his 21st minute effort round the post.

Koteles performed similar heroics to deny Mehmet Topal two minutes later, before Genk forced a rare shot on target in the 32nd minute when Thomas Buffel's 20 yard effort was held comfortably by Diego Alves.

Soldado grabbed his second and Valencia's third in the 37th minutes when Costa nudged his free-kick to the striker, who blasted the ball past a helpless Koteles from the edge of the box.

And it was 4-0 two minutes later after another rising strike from Soldado, who was played in on the edge of the six yard box by a short pass from Pablo Hernandez.

Valencia continued to dominate in the second half with Koteles tipping over a drive from Topal and a 20-yard shot from Hernandez before the fifth arrived in the 68th minute, Hernandez sweeping home from a Jonas pass.

Two minutes later Aritz Aduriz made it six when he drilled home a left-foot shot from the right side of the six yard box after a ball in from Miguel on the right wing.

And after Aduriz and Jonas both came close, Genk's misery was complete 10 minutes from time when Costa followed up to poke home after Jonas' initial shot had been parried into his path by the hapless Koteles.