What ex-West Brom star Grady Diangana did against Carlos Corberan’s Valencia - it’s some twist | OneFootball

Grady Diangana found the back of the net for the first time at his new club against a familiar face

Grady Diangana has endured a season of ups and downs after leaving West Brom for La Liga outfit Elche in the summer, but he finally got on the scoresheet for the first time this past Saturday, and against a familiar face in Carlos Corberan.

Indeed, the 27-year-old had an eventful afternoon on Saturday, as he came off the bench to score his first goal for his new club, but then also gave away the penalty that led to the equaliser in the 1-1 draw against Valencia.

In the Valencia dugout was Carlos Corberan, who oversaw some of Diangana's best years at the Hawthorns before departing the club for the Spanish outfit in December 2024.

Now, the eight-time Congo international has followed him to La Liga, and has haunted him too, contributing to yet another game without a win for Los Murciélagos.

Grady Diangana's goal against Carlos Corberan's Valencia is a funny twist for West Brom fans

Diangana made 202 appearances in the six seasons he spent at West Brom, and arguably the best of those came while Corberan was in the dugout.

The 27-year-old had a rough time upon returning to the Championship in 2021, failing to nail down a regular spot in the starting eleven under the tutelage of Valerien Ismael and Steve Bruce.

Then, when Corberan came to the club in October 2022, West Brom fans started to see the Diangana of old — the one who made the club spend an initial £12 million on him in September 2020.

The 2023/24 campaign under the Spanish boss saw the Baggies make the play-offs, with Diangana contributing 15 goal involvements, the same number he made during the promotion campaign in 2019/20.

Unfortunately, last season saw that dry up. Corberan left in December for Valencia, and West Brom opted not to extend the 27-year-old's contract at the end of the season, leaving the wideman open to signing for La Liga rivals Elche.

Diangana's been in and out of the side during his debut campaign in Spain, but he did come off the bench against Corberan's Valencia on Saturday to score his first goal for the club. With minutes remaining, however, he gave away the penalty that led to the equaliser.

In the end, it was an eventful evening when the two former Baggies met for the first time since both leaving the Hawthorns, and despite scoring the goal which gave Elche the lead, being the catalyst for a late leveller could have done his former manager a favour.

Despite coming into the fold midway through last season with the club in crisis before guiding them safely to a midtable finish, Corberan's first full campaign with Valencia hasn't gone to plan thus far, as Los Murciélagos are currently embroiled in another mid-season relegation scrap.

The 1-1 draw extended a winless league run to six games for Corberan's side, but it did mark the fourth draw in that time. With Mallorca losing, Valencia are now just one point removed from safety.

With the Spanish boss remaining in charge throughout the current run, the draw here may have afforded him some more time, and given the competitiveness of La Liga this season, it keeps the gap between themselves and Diangana's Elche, who sit ninth, at just six points.

Both Corberan and Diangana were held in high regard at the Hawthorns, and some Baggies fans will have been keeping a close eye on how they were getting on post-West Brom.

Those who were would have been able to afford a wry smile at the results this past weekend.