PREVIEW | FC Barcelona v Valencia

Just three days after the heartening 1-0 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu in the Copa del Rey, FC Barcelona are back in action, this time in La Liga, where despite suffering just their second defeat in the competition, they are still a mighty seven points clear of the team that they beat in Thursday's cup semi-final, Real Madrid.

Seven days ago, Barça were stunned by relegation threatened Almería, and this week they are facing another side that's involved in the fight against the drop, Valencia. That's not a name we are used to seeing so low down the table, but 2022/23 has not been going at all to plan for a team that recently switched managers in the hope of getting things back on track.

Spotify Camp Nou is the venue for a 4.15pm CET kick-off. To be sure what time that is where you are and who holds the rights to broadcast it, you should find our guide more than useful.

Second placed Real Madrid will not be playing until later in the day, when they face a tricky trip away to Real Betis. That one starts at 9pm CET on Sunday.

Pre-game ceremony

Before the game begins, Alexia Putellas will be appearing before the fans to show off her “The Best” trophy that she received in Paris on Monday, the second year in a row that she has been named the greatest female footballer on the planet. She'll be joined on the pitch by Mapi León, Keira Walsh and Lucy Bronze, her team-mates who were named alongside her in the FIFA World 11.

Team news

Barça are still missing all of Pedri, Ousmane Dembélé and Robert Lewandowski to injury, three of the most important pieces of the squad. That said, Thursday's result shows that the team is still more than capable of delivering in their absence. But there is the additional concern of Gavi being suspended for this one after receiving a fifth yellow card against Almería.

As against Madrid, it means drawing on the reserve/youth ranks to fill the bench, with young Angel Alarcón and Estanis Pedrola both picked to the squad for this one.

Xavi is also suspended and will be unable to join his players on the touch-line.

Valencia are missing both of Gabriel Paulista and Gayà to injury. Nico Gonzalez, who is on loan from Barça, is unable to play against his parent club due to a clause in the deal, although he wouldn't be available for this one anyway as he too is nursing an injury.

Valencia form guide

Before 2022/23, Valencia had three below-par seasons, in which ninth in La Liga was the best they managed. But this season is going worse still for a side that's more used to battling at the top end of the league. Things were already going badly before the World Cup, but since La Liga resumed, a run of seven defeats and just one draw saw them sky-dive down to 19th place in the league. Relegation for the first time since 1986 is starting to look like a very real possibility for Los Che.

Italian coach Gennaro Gattuso was finally shown the door, and in came one of Valencia's most revered players of recent times, Rubén Baraja, a man who has gained managerial experience at such clubs as Elche, Rayo Vallecano and most recently, Real Zaragoza. His team played well against Getafe, but still lost 1-0, in his first game in charge. But a 1-0 defeat of high-flying Real Sociedad last week suggests that maybe things are finally heading in the right direction. 

Head to head

Barça have only lost one of their last 13 league games against Valencia, a 2-0 defeat at Mestalla in January 2020. And the last four meetings have all been blaugrana victories, including a 1-0 win away from home earlier this season, when Lewandowski nabbed the three points with a goal three minutes into second half injury time.

But Valencia are no strangers to taking points home from Barcelona. In 2019 and 2020 they were able to draw 2-2, and in 2014 and 2016 they went home with wins.

Valencia was also the side that beat Barça 2-0 in the 2019 Copa del Rey Final. So at least going by the history books, this fixture is anything but a guaranteed win.

Xavi says

"We have closely analysed Valencia's first two games under Baraja. They are defending much better, and they're more aggressive. They are in urgent need of points and that makes them dangerous."

"The way we played against Real Madrid wasn't what we set out to do. We wanted the ball but we were forced into defending because of the pressure we were under. And we were extraordinary at doing it. It's such a hard job to do at Barça. You win away to Real Madrid and you still have to face criticism! You can't only win at the this club. You have win by playing well."

"We need to learn from what happened in Almería. We can't afford to make any more mistakes like that."