Gent threw themselves a Champions League lifeline by beating Valencia 1-0 in Belgium tonight to stay alive in Group H and earn their first ever win in this competition.
The hosts dominated the first 45 minutes but a combination of wayward finishing and brilliant goalkeeping from Jaume Domenech ensured parity at the break.
Their perseverance paid off early in the second period when Sven Kums slammed home a penalty in an incident which proved fatal for Los Che, who stay second but Gent are two points behind with two games left.
Below, relive the action with our live text commentary.
By virtue of the fact that Valencia needed two own goals to beat Gent at the Mestalla a fortnight ago, it's safe to say that tonight's return fixture in Ghent (I don't know why they're spelled differently) could be quite tricky for Nuno Espirito Santo and co. It's matchday four of the Champions League, but we're focusing on events in Belgium this evening as Los Che look to take a big step out of Group H and plant one foot in the last 16.
We'll look at both teams' contrasting fortunes a little later, but for now, we must focus on team news. Let's go.
GENT XI: Sels; Mitrovic, Asare, Nielsen, Neto; Kums, Saief, Dejaegere, Foket, Milicevic; Depoitre
VALENCIA XI: Domenech; Santos, Mustafi, Gaya, Barrgan; Feghouli, Parejo, Perez, Fuego; Alcacer, Mina
GENT SUBS: Vandenbussche, Rafinha, Johansson, Coulibaly, Poletanovic, Raman, Simon
VALENCIA SUBS: Yoel, Cancelo, Vezo, Danilo, Gomes, Pitatti, De Paul
Starting with Valencia, Paco Alcacer, who missed a hatful of chances in the first meeting, spearheads the attack once more. Santi Mina and Sofiane Feghouli line up on the flanks, while Javi Fuego, Enzo Perez and Dani Parejo start in the centre. Goalkeeper Jaume Doménech contineus between the sticks for the injured Mathew Ryan, while Santos, Shkodran Mustafi, Jose Gaya and Antonio Barragán start in defence. That's your lot.
On to the visitors now and Laurent Depoitre, who was useless last time around, continues as the spearhead. Thomas Foket, who scored a wonder goal at Los Che, continues on the right side of attack, with Danijel Milicevic and Ken Saief in the rest of the midfield. It's a three-man defence with Stefan Mitrović, Nana Asare and Lasse Nielsen. Gent need a win and on this evidence, they're going for it.
So, with Zenit boasting a 100% record in Group H after three games, it's probably fair to say that it's a battle for second place - and one that Valencia are certainly winning. They're second, three points behind Zenit and five clear of Gent and Lyon in third and fourth place respectively. Victory tonight, coupled with a Lyon defeat by Zenit, would see Nuno's men progress into the second round.
In contrast, Gent, on one point following a draw with Lyon on matchday one, have to win in order to preserve their slim hopes of reaching the second round. Otherwise it's a battle with Lyon for a Europa League berth. Still, they did more than enough at Los Che las time around to prompt the belief that they can win. They're a half-decent side.
Surely this is one of the better crests in European football?
Four minutes to go. We'll also have updates of everything that goes on in Lyon's visit of Zenit because, as we mentioned, Valencia only go through tonight if they win AND Lyon don't.
KICKOFF: And we're off in Ghent! Valencia, draped in white, get us underway. I'm looking forward to this. Barrgan already concedes a free kick and the hosts will whip this in.
SHOT! Depoitre might've done better here. The free kick falls to him, but he's leaning backwards and he can only poke it into the arms of Domenech.
CHANCE! It's been an excellent start by Gent and Foket's low cross into the box is skyed over the bar by Ken Saief. Should've done much, much better.
SAVE! Domenech is Valencia's third-choice goalkeeper but what a save. It's a truly brilliant volley Kums, whose technique is perfect and it looks to be sailing into the far corner, but Jaume gets his finger tips on it.
Good work by Barragan, whose low cross is cleared by Nielsen, and it had to because Alcacer was lurking and he would've had an open goal. Excellent defending.
Following a rip-roaring first 10 minutes or so, it's just gone a bit quiet in recent minutes. Gent absolutely dominating possession and Valencia playing on the counter. There's about 19,000 Gent fans here and they're certainly making themselves heard.
Gent are playing some fantastic ball, whereas I'm not sure Alcacer has even had a kick. The Valencia hitman is totally isolated in this first 15 minutes, feeding off scraps and, sadly for him, there's nothing to feed off.
OFF THE POST! What a truly fantastic header as Milicevic's header leaves Domenech stretching as it loops off the post, before Valencia clear off the line. Gent are totally dominant and very unlucky not to be leading here. They've been brilliant early doors.
Valencia need to do more. They've been so second best in the first 21 minutes but, worryingly, there's no sign of that changing. They're being outplayed, outmuscled and outfought here.
CHANCE! Foket drops a wonderful cross for Saief at the back post, but he miscues the volley and the chance goes begging. Valencia haven't been able to lay a glove on Thomas Foket tonight.
MISS! Oh my word how is not 1-0? It's Thomas Foket who whips in a magnificent cross again, but Brecht Dejaegere, from about six yards out, heads down into the ground and over the bar. Shocking.
UPDATE! Good news for both sides now as Zenit move 1-0 ahead away to Lyon. Just a reminder that if Valencia win - and it's looking unlikely at the moment - and Lyon don't, then Nuno's men advance into the second round. Gent, meanwhile, need to win in order to preserve their hopes of reaching the knockouts.
BOOKING: Feghouli, forced to be a spectator tonight, goes into the book for a foul on Nana Asare.
SHOT! Still one-way traffic and Kums volleys one over the bar here. If anyone sees Valencia then let me know.
Right, nine minutes until the break and Gent will be disappointed if they don't fashion a half-time lead. They've done more than enough in this first 35 minutes or so but wayward finishing, combined with some excellent goalkeeping, has seen them denied time and time again.
To contextulaise the dominance, Valencia have had no shots - Gent have had 10!
Five minutes but, if we're honest, Gent look like a side running out of ideas. Foket isn't getting the same joy that he was for the previous 40 minutes and their tempo has died down a little.
Valencia coming into it a little more but still nothing doing, and it's probably too late in the day to establish a half-time lead.
HALF TIME: Gent 0-0 Valencia
God knows how it's 0-0, but it is. Gent have dominated the opening 45 minutes but nothing doing. They've hit the post, had efforts cleared off the line. They've missed point-blank sitters. They've done plenty but somehow they haven't scored. Valencia have done nothing. Absolutely nothing.
KICKOFF: We're back underway here my friends. Gent, who should be about 3-0 up, kick us off once again. On the evidence of that first half, Valencia coach Nuno would snatch your hand off if you offered him a point.
Incidentally, Piatti has also replaced the ineffective Santi Mina.
PENALTY TO GENT! Antonio Barragan is booked for stopping Saief's cross and it's a spot kick.
GOAL! Gent 1-0 Valencia (Sven Kums)
Finally, Gent move ahead and it's nothing less than they deserve. It's a wonderful penalty from Mr Kums, who drives it high into the top corner via the finger tips of Domenech. They'll want to kick on now.
Good response by Los Che in fairness. They're seeing much more of the ball now. Isn't it weird the way football works like that? How moving ahead can just stifle all your previous momentum? Strange.
Gent seem forced into their first sub as Kenny Saief, who's been excellent, goes off the field with a groin problem it seems. It remains to be seen if he's being subbed though.
SUB: Yep. Saief goes off for Benito Raman. If Raman has as much impact as Piatti then Gent will be okay, because the Valencia man has been excellent since replacing Santi Mina.
SHOT! Pretty sure this is Valencia's first shot, as Dani Parejo curls a free kick over the bar. Not far away, but he wasn't testing Sels. Much better from the visitors overall.
Half-an-hour to go then and Gent still comfortable, but that comfort is decreasing by the minute. Valencia have responded really well since falling behind. Just now, though, Domenech smothers a really good cross - and he had to because Depoitre was lurking at the back post.
Some more bad news on the horizon as Mustafi - who's just been booked - hobbles off the field for a foul on Asar. He's about to be replaced I think.
SUB: It's not Mustafi, but Javi Fuego who makes way for Andre Gomes. That's a strange one because Mustafi really did look in some discomfort.
Oh my. What a brilliant, defence-splitting ball from Kums for the lumbersome Depoitre, whose first touch is poor and it allows Santos to clean up. He's been useless, the Belgian striker.
Twenty minutes to go and Valencia, despite a brief response, haven't done enough since falling behind. It's all gone a little flat here in Belgium. I can see the hosts scoring again though.
SUB: This is a strange one as right-back Joao Cancelo replaces winger Feghouli, who's done nothing of note unfortunately because he's a fine baller on his day. Still, Valencia need a great big kick up the you know what, so perhaps that will help.
BOOKINGS: Two yellows to tell you about there as Andre Gomes and Raman both enter the book. Valencia winning 3-1 in terms of yellow cards, but losing 1-0 in terms of goals and that doesn't look like changing yet. Fifteen minutes to go.
Sorry to any Valencia fans tuning in, but your team have just been so, so poor. They've done absolutely nothing to merit a point as of yet, but there's 12 minutes to go. It's just all very flat now.
SAVE! Good save from Sels, who's done nothing all night, but he does well to keep out Alcacer at his near post here. Slightly better from the visitors.
Gent fans have been truly superb all night by the way. This place has been electric at times and the fans can take huge credit IF the team emerges with all three points.
Raman might be a bit fortunate here as he fouls Piatti, having already been booked, but the referee gives him the benefit of the doubt. Piatti drives a free kick into the box, but Gent clear.
SUB: Raman, a second-half sub, is now replaced by Rafinha and he's furious. He's already been booked, and he did make a rash foul a moment ago to test the referee. Raman can have no complaints really.
Gent have a corner now and that's exactly where they want the ball.
Ninety seconds of normal time to go and Gent looking comfortable. Very comfortable, in fact.
FOUR MINUTES ADDED ON:
FULL TIME: Gent 1-0 Valencia
Well, that's it! Sven Kums's second-half penalty was enough for Gent, who certainly deserved the win. They were much better in the first half, spurning plenty of chances, and they opened the scoring from the spot when Barragan conceded a soft penalty via handball. Kums made no mistake and the Belgians are just two points behind second-placed Los Che in Group H now! Anywho, thanks for joining us and we'll see you next time.
