UEFA Champions League: Valencia hammer BATE 4-2 to stay top

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 8, 2012: Valencia completed the double in UEFA Champions League Group F with a 4-2 win over Belarus outfit BATE Borisov to stay level on points with pacesetters Bayern Munich, who crushed Lille 6-1, the official FIFA website reported.

BATE had made a bright start to the campaign, stunning group favourites Bayern on their way to winning their opening two fixtures. But they then came unstuck at home to Valencia and the Spaniards once again outfoxed them, taking the lead in the 26th minute at the Mestalla Stadium.

Brazilian striker Jonas Goncalves broke the deadlock, firing home on a turn high into the net after controlling a cross from a Tino Costa. Almost straight from the restart, it was 2-0, Roberto Soldado - who scored a hat-trick in the away match - converting from the spot after Denis Polyakov fouled Andres Guardado as the latter burst into the box.

Coach Mauricio Pellegrino has been struggling to conjure coherent league form from his Valencia side this season - they sit mid-table with only four wins from ten games - but this success, following their win in Belarus, should propel them towards the last 16 in Europe.

Former Barcelona midfielder Aleksandr Hleb tried gamely to spark a riposte, but was unable to call on support from the suspended Alexander Pavlov as Valencia tightened their grip on proceedings.

Vitali Rodionov had an early effort wide for Viktor Goncharenko's BATE, but the two goals took the wind out of the visitors' sails as Valencia, finalists in 2000 and 2001, made it 3-0 six minutes after the restart.

Algerian Sofiane Feghouli slammed home after Fernando Gago cut through a tiring defence to find his teammate unmarked. BATE did knuckle down to make a game of it as Renan Bressan converted for 3-1 just two minutes after Feghouli's effort.

And suddenly the Spaniards were sweating when Dmitri Mozolevski, on for Hleb, made it 3-2 in the 83rd minute with a tap-in from Rodianov's pass as Valencia looked to be counting down the clock and cruising.

However, the hosts quickly snapped out of their complacency as Feghouli bagged his second goal of the night with four minutes remaining, cracking home a fierce drive after substitute Ever Banega had found him.