Barcelona vs Valencia Prediction & Tips
Barcelona will face Valencia next Sunday without being able to afford another slip-up in La Liga, a competition in which their recent slumps have dropped them to third place, seven points behind leaders Real Madrid and five points behind second-placed Atletico.
Flick’s side are used to spectacular and dominant play, recently repeating their thrashing of Real Madrid to win the Spanish Super Cup, and in the Champions League they are the strongest side alongside Liverpool. But when they return to La Liga, the problems return.
One win, three draws and four defeats is in fact the recent record of the azulgrana team in the domestic competition. They can’t afford to slip up any more, especially against a team in the relegation places like Valencia, second to last in the table, five points from the salvation zone. Despite their delicate sporting and institutional situation, with the permanent divorce between the fans and the club’s owner, the Ché side are showing some signs of life. They have not lost for three consecutive matches, with two draws and a narrow 1-0 win over Real Sociedad last time out.
Barcelona brilliantly won the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia by beating Athletic (0-2) and thrashing Real Madrid (2-5). In the Copa del Rey, they overwhelmed Betis to reach the quarter-finals (5-1) and after a 1-1 draw in Getafe in the league, they staged a spectacular comeback in the Champions League against Benfica (4-5).
Valencia are trying to get back on track and have now gone four games unbeaten, although two of those were in the Cup. They beat Eldense in the tournament of the K.O. (0-2), took a point from the Pizjuán in a match in which they came close to victory (1-1), secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Copa against Ourense (0-2) and narrowly defeated Real to move off the bottom of the table (1-0).
Marc Bernal, Ter Stegwn and Iñigo Martínez are out injured for Barcelona and Dani Olmo, with an overload, could join them. Diakhaby and Correia are both seriously injured for Valencia and are still recovering from their respective injuries.
Iñaki Peña; Koundé, Cubarsí, Araújo, Balde; Casadó, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha; and Lewandowski are all likely to make up the starting eleven. And Mamardashvili; Foulquier, Tárrega, Yarek, Gayà; Diego López, Javi Guerra, Barrenechea, Almeida, Rioja; and Hugo Duro could be the ones chosen by Corberán for the Valencianista eleven for the match at the Lluis Companys.
Barcelona – Valencia FREE TIPS
OVER 9.5 CORNERS @ 1.72
