Valencia vs Athletic Club ratings after a goalless night at Mestalla

Valencia and Athletic Club finished 0-0 at Mestalla on 17 October 2026, and the ratings sheet backs up what the eye test suggested. José Gayà and Pepelu led Valencia's best work, Aymeric Laporte stood out for Athletic, and both goalkeepers did enough to keep the game scoreless in Valencia vs Athletic Club.

The players who stood out

Gayà finished as Valencia's top-rated starter at 7.14 and also created three key passes from defence. Pepelu was close behind on 7.2, which fits a match where Valencia's most consistent threat came from deeper areas rather than from a clear forward breakthrough.

Athletic's best-rated outfield performer was Laporte on 7.07, and his 38th-minute yellow card came in a first half that stayed tense without producing a goal. Unai Simón made three saves, while Stole Dimitrievski only needed one save at the other end.

The referee was Adrián Cordero Vega, with David Gálvez in the VAR room. Arnaut Danjuma started for Valencia, and the lineup leaned a little more attacking than some of their other recent setups.

Guruzeta's brief setback

Athletic also had an injury concern to deal with. J. Guruzeta lasted barely four minutes after coming on before injuring himself and going off immediately, and he later told Estadio Deportivo: "I lasted barely four minutes on the pitch and injured myself alone after standing still."

That was the sharpest personal blow in a match that otherwise stayed balanced from start to finish. Estadio Deportivo's report called it "a fair result for both", and the point leaves both sides with the sort of evening where the clean sheet mattered more than any attacking flourish.