Defending La Liga champions Barcelona will be eyeing a fourth straight win in the new campaign when they hit the road to face Valencia.
Valencia will look to bring an end to their winless start when they host Hansi Flick’s Barcelona at the Mestalla on Sunday.
The home team are 17th on the table with just one point in their three outings. They started the campaign with a 0-0 draw against Celta Vigo, but have lost to Real Betis and Deportivo de A Coruna in their last two outings.
The 1-0 defeat to Betis was not a significant blow, but the 3-1 defeat to newly promoted Deportivo came as a surprise to many. They will have to put up a much improved performance if they are to stand a chance against Barcelona.
Meanwhile, the visitors are top of the table with nine points in three outings. They have only grown in confidence with every passing game. They started the campaign with an impressive 5-0 win over Elche. The Catalan giants then recorded a 2-0 win over Athletic Club and are now heading into this fixture on the back of a 5-2 win over Rayo Vallecano.
While it was a dominant display, Flick’s team will hope they can put up a better defensive performance against Valencia and continue their winning streak. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Valencia
Valencia have several players unavailable, with Jose Copete (meniscus), Justin De Haas (ankle), Guido Rodriguez (muscle), Diego Lopez (cruciate ligament), Sergi Canos (cruciate ligament), and Umar Sadiq (hamstring) all currently sidelined. Meanwhile, Dimitri Foulquier and Kayne van Oevelen are both major doubts for this fixture because of physical discomfort.
The home team will line up in a 3-5-2 formation, where Stole Dimitrievski will be in goal. Luis Rioja and Jesus Vazquez will be the wing-backs, while Arnau Martinez, Mouctar Diakhaby, and Cesar Tarrega will feature in the heart of the defence.
Rioja and Vazquez will look to provide support on both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Filip Ugrinic should start alongside Pepelu and Ryunosuke Sato in the centre of the park. The trio will look to ensure Barcelona midfielders do not run the show. In the final third, Javi Guerra will pair up with Hugo Duro. The duo will look to make the most of the limited chances that come their way.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Dimitrievski; Martinez, Diakhaby, Tarrega; Rioja, Ugrinic, Pepelu, Sato, Vazquez; Guerra, Duro
Barcelona
Barcelona remain without the services of Roony Bardghji (ACL), Jesse Bisiwu (thigh), and Frenkie de Jong (knee). While Gavi is back in training after recovering from a knee injury, he is unlikely to be rushed back.
Flick’s team will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Joan Garcia will be in goal. Eric Garcia and Xavi Espart could be the full-backs, while Pau Cubarsi will pair up with Andreas Christensen in the heart of the defence.
The back four will be eyeing a clean sheet, and they will receive significant support from the midfield duo of Rodri and Pedri, who will look to shield the backline and control the tempo of the game.
In the final third, Anthony Gordon and Lamine Yamal will feature on the flanks. Dani Olmo will take up the number ten role behind Raphinha, who is likely to continue leading the line for the Catalan giants.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia; Eric Garcia, Cubarsi, Christensen, Espart; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Gordon; Raphinha
Key Stats
- Barcelona suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Valencia during their last trip to Mestalla back in May.
- But Valencia have only won two out of their last 20 home games against Barcelona (10 wins).
- Raphinha became the first player to score five goals in Barcelona’s first three league outings since Messi did it back in 2017/18.
- In the 40 meetings between the two teams, the Catalan giants have won 25 times, while Valencia have come out on top on just five occasions.
- Barcelona average around four goals per game, having bagged 19 goals in their last five outings.
Player to Watch
Lamine Yamal
Barcelona’s teenage attacking sensation might have had a slowish start to the new season, but he did hit top gear against Rayo Vallecano last time out. Having failed to register a goal contribution in the first two outings, he bagged a brace against Rayo Vallecano.
The 19-year-old had 42 goal contributions across competitions last season, and he will certainly be hoping to better that tally this time around. With the youngster finding the back of the net in their last outing, Yamal will be riding high on confidence to be the difference maker in this fixture as well.
Prediction
Valencia 0-4 Barcelona
Barcelona’s attacking quality and current form should make them overwhelming favourites, while Valencia’s poor start to the campaign leaves them with a difficult task at home. The hosts have struggled for consistency and could find it particularly difficult to contain a Barcelona side that has already scored 19 goals in their last five matches.
Hansi Flick’s men have looked increasingly confident with every game and should have enough quality to control the contest from the outset. Valencia could struggle to create clear chances, while Barcelona’s forwards should have plenty of opportunities to make the difference. The Hard Tackle predicts a 4-0 win for the away team.