Juanfran’s match-winning strike for Levante in last night’s Europa League tie with Helsingborgs marked the end of a long wait in front of goal.
The left-back latched on to a quick free-kick from teammate Michel last night to score the club’s first goal in the competition phase proper last night, which proved to be the difference between themselves and their Swedish opponents.
The goal also marked the end of a 15-year wait for Juanfran to score again for the club. Although he has scored a handful of goals at other clubs during his career, yesterday’s effort was his first for Levante since his return to the club.
His only previous strike for Los Granotes came on March 9, 1997 during their Segunda Division campaign that year, in a 5-1 win against Castilla also at the Ciutat de Valencia.
Although a decade-and-a-half splits his goals at the club, it is only 87 appearances between the strikes for the 36-year-old, taking into account his spells at Valencia, Celta Vigo, Besiktas, Ajax, Zaragoza and AEK Athens that also came in between.
