Giorgi Mamardashvili spent much of the season with Valencia in LaLiga’s drop zone, but is now helping mount a remarkable late bid for a European spot.
Valencia had spent all but one week in the bottom three of Spain’s top flight between the start of the season and the first week of March.
But with Ruben Baraja sacked in December and Carlos Corberan appointed as his replacement, they could now finish as high as seventh with three games to play.
That comes with Valencia currently on a run of 10 games unbeaten and having only lost two of their last 17 since a 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid on January 3.
Mamardashvili missed that loss to Real along with the previous three fixtures due to injury, but the Liverpool-bound goalkeeper has been key to his side’s resurgent form since taking over again between the sticks.
Saturday saw Valencia beat fellow mid-table side Getafe 3-0 to move into 10th and within two points of eighth – a position which would secure a place in the Europa Conference League playoffs.
???WHAT A BRILLINT SAVE from Mamardashvili earlier today!?pic.twitter.com/beezcv54yJ
— Georgian Footy (@GeorgianFooty) May 10, 2025
The Georgian pulled off a stunning save to deny a header from Peter Gonzalez just before half-time, scampering to his far post and tipping the ball out of danger.
He also produced an impressive stop to keep out a goal-bound free-kick from Omar Alderete shortly after Valencia went 1-0 up, ending the game with his eighth clean sheet of the season.
Mamardashvili ? ?? #LaLigaHighlights #ValenciaGetafe pic.twitter.com/m2H07v4TA7
— Valencia CF (@valenciacf_en) May 10, 2025
Three of those clean sheets have come in this current run of 10 games without defeat, with Mamardashvili only conceding 10 goals in that time having shipped 35 in his previous 21 appearances.
It is an encouraging run of form for the player and both his current and future clubs, and could serve as the perfect sign-off before he heads to Merseyside.
If Valencia were to finish seventh they would enter the Europa League‘s group stage, and given their fortunes before Corboran was appointed that is a remarkable feat.
Bajcetic battling relegation
Things are much different for Stefan Bajcetic elsewhere in LaLiga, with the midfielder part of a Las Palmas side currently 19th in the table.
Bajcetic made his 11th start for the club as they hosted Rayo Vallecano on Friday night, but it ended in a third consecutive defeat as Las Palmas suffered a 1-0 loss.
Las Palmas can still finish as high as 13th but are among the favourites to join Real Valladolid in dropping down to the Segunda Division.
While the majority of Liverpool’s loanees have already finished their duties for the campaign, left-back James Norris continued an impressive individual season as Shelbourne beat St Patrick’s Athletic 2-1 on Friday.
Calvin Ramsay was the only other player involved in a game over the weekend but the right-back went unused in Kilmarnock’s 3-2 win over Dundee – having still only started once for the Scottish club.
