Monday 7 December 2015 15:46, UK
New head coach Gary Neville watched from the stands as Valencia came from behind to claim a 1-1 draw with Barcelona on Saturday night.
Santi Mina's late strike cancelled out Luis Suarez's opener at the Mestalla, and Neville will have taken plenty of encouragement from what he saw.
Here, we look at some of the positives for the new man in charge as he prepares for his first match in the dugout when Valencia face Lyon in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Young talent to work with
As one of the pillars of the Class of '92, Neville knows the virtue of youth as well as anyone, and at Valencia he is inheriting one of the youngest playing squads in Europe. Against Barcelona six members of their starting line-up were aged 22 or under, and there were four more youngsters among the substitutes.
Spanish Under-21 international Jose Luis Gaya and Belgian teenager Zakaria Bakkali are among their brightest prospects, but it was two other youngsters who combined for the equaliser. The 22-year-old Paco Alcacer showed why he is already an established Spain international with his brilliant control and hold-up play from a hopeful long pass, and teenager Mina made no mistake to crash home his first goal for the club.
Neville has made no secret of his admiration for the high-energy playing style instigated by Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham, and he will be keen to harness Valencia's youthful dynamism to similar effect. Saturday's performance suggests there's plenty there for him to work with.
Fans back on side?
Neville's appointment was greeted with scepticism in many quarters, but he made all the right noises at his unveiling on Friday as he promised to embrace the language and culture of Spain and told Valencia supporters they were right to have high expectations.
On Saturday's evidence, the fans are already united behind him. Thousands lined the streets outside Valencia's Mestalla stadium to provide a raucous welcome for the team prior to kick-off, and inside the arena there was the same intensity.
The atmosphere at the Mestalla was toxic in the final weeks of Nuno Espirito Santo's reign, but fans roared their support for the team against Barcelona - and the late equaliser made the draw feel like a win. The feel-good feeling is back at Valencia. Neville's challenge is to keep it there.
Defensive resolve
Free-scoring Barcelona had netted 23 times in their previous five games going into this meeting, but Valencia did a fine job of keeping the world's finest attacking trio at bay for long periods, with Luis Suarez's frustration boiling over when he appeared to stamp on centre-back Aymen Abdennour.
For all Valencia's struggles this season, Suarez's opening goal was only the 11th goal they have conceded in La Liga, a defensive record only bettered by Atletico Madrid. When Neville gets a chance to apply his defensive and tactical expertise, they could become even tighter at the back.
Kinder fixtures
With Barcelona out of the way, Neville will be relieved to start his tenure with a rather kinder run of fixtures. To start with, Wednesday's opponents Lyon are struggling in Ligue 1 and have only taken one point from five Champions League games. Even a victory over the French side might not be enough to send Valencia through, but it is certainly a winnable game.
La Liga minnows Eibar are Neville's first La Liga opponents next weekend, after which there is the second leg of their Copa del Rey clash with third-tier Barakaldo followed by a home clash with relegation battlers Getafe. The fixtures give Neville the chance to head into the Christmas break in a stronger position.
Negredo to return
Neville also has Alvaro Negredo to return from injury. The former Manchester City striker reportedly fell out with Neville's predecessor Nuno and he was absent against Barcelona as he continues his recovery from appendix surgery last month.
The 30-year-old has struggled for goals since joining Valencia last season, but at his best he is a muscular and deadly frontman who can trouble top defences. Indeed, his move to City in 2013 came after six prolific seasons with Sevilla and Almeria in La Liga.
Alcacer has impressed up front for Los Che in his absence, but unlocking Negredo's goalscoring potential should feature highly on Neville's to-do list.
Watch Neville's first La Liga match in charge of Valencia when they face Eibar next Sunday from 2.55pm on Sky Sports 4
