Valencia claimed the advantage in their Champions League qualifying tie with Monaco by earning a 3-1 victory in the first leg on Wednesday night.
Goals from Rodrigo, Dani Parejo and Sofiane Feghouli were enough to secure the win for Valencia, who were pegged back when Mario Pasalic made it 1-1 early in the second half.
Below, Sports Mole rates every performance on an entertaining night at the Mestalla.
VALENCIA
Goal
Matthew Ryan: Handed his competitive debut in the absence of Diego Alves and the Australian made one superb save to keep out Bernardo Silva in the first half. (6/10)
Defence
Antonio Barragan: Caused a few problems for Monaco with his accurate crossing, but the full-back was troubled when Martial drifted out to his wing more often in the second half. (6/10)
Shkodran Mustafi: Trusted to lead the defence in the absence of Nicolas Otamendi. Organised the back four impressively but too quick to make tackles when Monaco were on top. (6/10)
Ruben Vezo: The Portuguese centre-back could be set for an extended spell in the side this season, but he will have to improve quickly. Dragged out of position too many times and struggled to cope with the tricky Martial. (5/10)
Jose Luis Gaya: Impressive going forward from left-back and he picked out Feghouli on a number of occasions with his excellent crossing. Lucky not to give away a penalty for a silly tackle on Martial. (6/10)
Midfield
Dani Parejo: It was a fine captain's display from the midfielder. Battled impressively to help protect the defence and scored the vital goal to change the momentum of the tie. (8/10)
Rodrigo De Paul: Kept on the fringes of the match for long spells. Offered very little at either end of the pitch before being removed early in the second half. (5/10)
Enzo Perez: The Argentine was a busy man in midfield during Monaco's spells on top, but he stuck to his defensive task well before a knock forced him off late on. (6/10)
Attack
Sofiane Feghouli: A constant threat on the wing with his clever runs off the ball and inviting deliveries into the box. Claimed an assist for the opener before scoring the crucial third goal with an excellent finish. (8/10)
Paco Alcacer Looked set to be an important player after getting on the ball a few times in the early stages, but he drifted out of the match when Valencia were forced back by the visitors. (6/10)
Rodrigo: Broke the deadlock with an easy finish from close range. Offered glimpses of what he can do when given the space to get on the ball. (7/10)
Substitutes
Pablo Piatti: Added more creativity to the Valencia midfield after replacing De Paul. Assisted Parejo for the second goal with a clever cushioned volley at the back post. (7/10)
Javi Fuego: Introduced to the game when the midfield battle took centre stage in the second half and he offered important protection for the defence. (6/10)
Alvaro Negredo: Sent on to provide a physical presence in attack in the closing stages, and he held up the ball well as the hosts claimed victory. (6/10)
MONACO
© Getty Images
Goal
Danijel Subasic: It was not the best of nights for the Croatian goalkeeper. Certainly not at fault for any of the goals, but always looked vulnerable when Valencia delivered crosses. (5/10)
Defence
Andrea Raggi: Asked to play out of position at right-back, but never looked comfortable against Rodrigo, whose pace caused him problems throughout the evening. (5/10)
Ricardo Carvalho: Arguably the best of Monaco's defenders, despite losing track of Alcacer and Rodrigo as Valencia capitalised on some sloppy marking early in the match. (6/10)
Wallace: A night to forget for the Brazilian centre-back. Caught out of position too many times and struggled to react when Valencia's midfielders attacked from deep. (5/10)
Elderson Echiejile: Troubled by the clever movement of Feghouli, who piled the pressure on him from the first whistle, but he was offered very little support by his midfielders. (5/10)
Midfield
Jeremy Toulalan: A calm head in a frantic first half as he kept Monaco ticking over with his no-thrills approach. However, his lack of pace was exposed when the hosts counter-attacked more often in the second half. (6/10)
Mario Pasalic: The Chelsea loanee's away goal could prove to be crucial, but he has every right to be disappointed with his overall contribution. Found it difficult to get involved in attacking areas due to impressive work from Parejo and Perez. (6/10)
Fabinho: Sloppy in possession for most of the match and his poor passing often put the Monaco defence under pressure. The Brazilian, who usually plays at right-back, looked uncomfortable when the pace of the game picked up. (5/10)
Attack
Ivan Cavaleiro: Troubled the Valencia defence with his direct running out wide, but Monaco were unable to get the Portugal international involved on a regular basis. (6/10)
Bernardo Silva: Offered glimpses of the quality that caught the eye during the European Under-21 Championship in the summer. Looked more dangerous when operating in central areas. (7/10)
Anthony Martial: Monaco's best player. Kept on the fringes of the game in the early stages, but he was happy to drop deeper to get involved. Always a threat with his pace and trickery. Created the goal and should have won a penalty, too. (8/10)
Substitutes
Nabil Dirar: A disappointing cameo from the Moroccan winger. Wasteful in possession and fortunate not to pick up a second yellow card after appearing to kick out at Gaya. (4/10)
Fares Bahlouli: Unable to make the impact his manager was hoping for after being trusted to be a creative influence in the closing stages. (5/10)
Stephan El Shaarawy: Perhaps should have been given longer to shine. Sent one speculative volley wide of the target in a late cameo. (5/10)
Callum Mulvihill
