Valencia remain unbeaten but without a win since Javier Aguirre took charge after being held to a goalless draw by Athletic Club at Mestalla.
The result was Athletic Club’s second successive 0-0 draw under Edin Terzic, while Valencia missed another opportunity to claim their first home victory of the season at the fifth attempt.
Aguirre’s side began with energy in their first home match since his appointment and immediately put Athletic under pressure. However, Valencia struggled to turn that early momentum into clear chances.
Athletic arrived with greater freshness after their match at Rayo Vallecano was abandoned inside the opening 15 minutes last weekend. They have not completed a full 90-minute match since mid-September, but created little after surviving Valencia’s initial spell.
Johaneko Louis-Jean produced the visitors’ first notable opening when he cut through the Valencia defence before his effort took a deflection and went well wide.
The lack of goalmouth action was hardly surprising given the two teams had scored only 13 goals between them in their first seven matches of the season. Neither goalkeeper had been seriously tested by the half-hour mark.
Inaki Williams failed to find the target from a promising position for the visitors, while Jose Gaya chose to try to find Hugo Duro rather than shoot when presented with an open goal at the other end.
Louis-Jean then curled another attempt narrowly wide, before Duro was unable to make proper contact with a header. Athletic finally forced a save in the 44th minute, when Stole Dimitrievski turned a Williams effort behind for a corner.
Williams had done well to beat his marker and get a shot away from a tight angle, but Dimitrievski reacted well to keep the score level.
Valencia came close to breaking the deadlock seven minutes after half-time. Arnaut Danjuma was released into the area, but the Netherlands forward side-footed his shot agonisingly past the post.
The home side continued to build confidence around Mestalla before the hour. David Otorbi saw an effort blocked by Louis-Jean, who had recovered position after Otorbi had rounded the goalkeeper.
Otorbi went close again soon afterwards, controlling a ball over the top before driving a low shot across goal. Unai Simon could only watch as it passed just wide.
Athletic, known as Lehoiak, were increasingly forced to defend. Gaya reached the byline and pulled the ball back for Javi Guerra, but his attempt was blocked by Simon’s legs.
Guerra was given time to set himself for another effort later in the area, although he placed the ball straight at the goalkeeper.
Neither side found a late winner. Valencia avoided suffering four consecutive home defeats for the first time in a decade, while Athletic Club matched their longest unbeaten run of last season with a five-match sequence.
However, Athletic’s current run contains two wins, compared with three during last season’s equivalent run.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Cesar Tarrega (Valencia).