Super Eagles and Valencia forward Sadiq Umar delivered late-game drama on Saturday, scoring an unforgettable equalizer that salvaged a 1-1 draw for Valencia against Rayo Vallecano at Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas.
Valencia had been knocking on the door all game but found themselves behind at halftime, courtesy of an unfortunate own goal from César Tárrega in the 44th minute. Still trailing after 65 minutes, Corberán brought on Sadiq in place of André Almeida and that substitution turned the tide.
With just over 10 minutes on the pitch, Sadiq scored one of the wildest goals of the La Liga season. Sliding in to meet a low cross, his first touch hit the post.
Still on the ground, he managed to control the rebound with his head and nudged the ball past the goalkeeper to level the match at 1-1 in the 77th minute.
⚽️6º gol de Umar “buen tipo” Sadiq con el Valencia.
Gol ‘Made In Sadiq’. No existe un gol que represente tanto el Sadiquismo.#RealSociedad
— Pablo Barea (@pablobare) April 19, 2025
It was pure instinct, grit, and improvisation and it gave Valencia a much-needed lifeline.
Sadiq celebrating his goal with Valencia fans. Photo Credit: X
Sadiq nearly turned provider moments later but was let down by a poor final pass. Still, the equalizer marked his fifth goal for Valencia, and he’s now just one goal shy of his combined La Liga tally for Real Sociedad and Almería in only 12 appearances.
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But just as he stole the spotlight, Sadiq picked up a 90th-minute yellow card for a rash tackle, meaning he’ll miss Valencia’s upcoming home match against Espanyol due to card accumulation.
It was a night of redemption, chaos, and consequence and Sadiq Umar was at the center of it
