Barcelona will look to return to winning ways after losing their last two outings when they hit the road to square up against Valencia.
Valencia are all set to host Barcelona on Saturday. Both teams have been struggling of late, and they will be eager to return to winning ways. The home team have been winless in their last four league outings, while the visitors are heading into this on the back of two consecutive defeats.
Los Che are currently 11th on the points table with 19 points out of their 16 matches. They have already lost seven matches this season, with three of those defeats coming in their last four outings. Valencia will be looking for their sixth win when they host Barcelona.
They are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Getafe. Valencia were far from their best and did not really deserve anything out of this fixture. Two red cards made it difficult for them, and they will be hoping for a much improved performance against the Catalan giants.
Meanwhile, the visitors started the season in fine fashion but of late, things have not been going according to plan for them. The defending champions are currently fourth on the points table with 34 points out of their 16 matches.
The Blaugrana are seven points behind league leaders Girona and cannot really afford any more slip-ups. Barcelona are heading into this fixture on the back of consecutive defeats. Their last outing against Royal Antwerp ended in a 3-2 defeat. Despite dominating the ball, they were vulnerable at the back and ended up conceding thrice.
The reigning La Liga champions will hope for a better performance against Valencia, who themselves have been struggling. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Valencia
The home team will be without the services of Jose Gaya and Andre Almeida. Apart from the duo, Los Che will also be without Gabriel Paulista and Javi Guerra, who are are suspended for this fixture.
Valencia will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Giorgi Mamardashvili in goal. Thierry Correia and Yarek Gasiorowski will feature as the full-backs. Meanwhile, in the heart of the defence, Mouctar Diakhaby will pair up with Cristhian Mosquera.
The back four will look to keep things compact at the back and not allow Barcelona’s star forwards too much space to do the damage. In the centre of the park, Fran Perez and Dimitri Foulquier will feature out wide, while Hugo Guillamon and Pepelu will be in a more central role.
Guillamon and Pepelu will look to ensure the Barcelona midfielders do not end up dominating the proceedings, while Perez and Foulquier will look to help out their full-backs and also provide width to their attacks. Up top, Diego Lopez will look to provide the much-needed support to Hugo Duro.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Mamardashvili; Correia, Mosquera, Diakhaby, Gasiorowski; Foulquier, Guillamon, Pepelu, Perez; Lopez, Duro
Barcelona
The visitors will be without the services of Gavi, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Inigo Martinez, and Marcos Alonso for this fixture. Meanwhile, the Catalan giants could have a boost as Frenkie de Jong is expected to return to the XI after missing out due to illness last time out.
Barcelona will make wholesale changes to the XI that started in their last outing when they take on Valencia. Xavi Hernandez is expected to stick to the 4-3-3 formation, where Inaki Pena will be in goal.
Jules Kounde and Joao Cancelo will feature as the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Ronald Araujo will start alongside Andreas Christensen. After conceding seven goals in their last two outings, the Barcelona defence will be eager to keep a clean sheet.
Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Ilkay Gundogan should feature in the centre of the park. The trio will look to ensure they have the majority of the ball and will also try and help out their back line. Raphinha and Joao Felix will provide width to their attacks, and they will also look to get on the scoresheet. Meanwhile, Robert Lewandowski will be leading the line for the Catalan giants.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pena; Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Cancelo; Pedri, De Jong, Gundogan; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Felix
Key Stats
- In the last 45 matches between the two teams, Barcelona have won 24 while Valencia only have seven wins to their name.
- The home team’s last win over Barcelona came back in 2020.
- Valencia have been winless in their last four league outings.
- Barcelona have suffered back-to-back defeats in their last two outings in all competitions.
- The Catalan giants have the fourth-best defence and the fifth-best attack in the division.
Player to Watch
Joao Felix
Felix has revived himself since joining Barcelona on a season-long loan in the summer. He has featured in a total of 18 matches and has contributed towards eight goals. While his numbers are average, he has had a huge impact on the team since taking charge at left flank.
The Catalan giants have struggled in their last two matches, and Xavi Hernandez will hope Felix brings his A game to the table against Valencia and helps them return to winning ways.
Prediction
Valencia 1-3 Barcelona
Barcelona have suffered defeats in their last two outings. They first lost to league leaders Girona and then followed it up with another defeat at the hands of Royal Antwerp in the UEFA Champions League.
Things have not been going according to plan for Xavi’s team. But the Barcelona boss is expected to turn things around against Valencia, who have had their own struggles of late. The home team have not won their last four league outings, and a similar story might ensue when they square up against the Catalan giants. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the visitors.
