Marcano and Mascarell braces seal Valencia’s top seeding for play-offs | OneFootball

Danielle Marcano and Marta Mascarell both hit braces as Valencia swept aside Atlético Madrid B at the Antonio Puchades. The American, a Puerto Rico international, opened and later sealed the scoring, while Noa Ortega netted a penalty for the visitors.

The ground has been unbeaten since December. Automatic promotion had gone after Deportivo Alavés’ win, but with two rounds left Valencia now hold a seven-point lead over Villarreal to secure top seeding among the play-off quartet. According to Superdeporte, that status brings a tie with the fifth-placed side and second-leg home advantage in the semi-final, with CA Osasuna or Alba Fundación the main candidates for the two berths.

Marcano arrived last summer and, despite limited minutes, has maximised her 1043 across Primera Federación and Copa de la Reina. Her double takes her to six league goals, plus a Copa third-round strike, a left-footer into Meritxell Muñoz’s top corner in the loss to RCD Espanyol.

Mascarell, from Gandia, produced two goals and an assist against Atleti B, underlining her growth this season. Under Mikel Crespo, the academy forward has surpassed 1200 minutes in all competitions.

Sunday’s brace moves her to five for the campaign, matching her best haul from 2024/25 with Valencia’s B team. One was an 89th-minute winner over CP Cacereño that delivered three points.

Source: Superdeporte