Following the impressive win at the Bernabeu a few days ago, the league leaders turn their attention back to La Liga as they host a struggling Valencia side. Xavi showed his pragmatism in the latest edition of El Clasico, adapting to the current condition of the squad to grind out a crucial win, in the first leg of the Copa del Rey Semis, which has been the norm for Barcelona this season anyways. That win should give them the confidence to continue their winning run after experiencing a bit of a rough patch recently.
On any other day, Valencia would fancy their chances at the Camp Nou, following their 1-0 win over top 4 contenders Real Sociedad, but their current status, coupled with that of their hosts, makes this an uphill battle for them. Any side fighting to stay up should never be taken for granted however, especially at this moment in the season when anyone can be punished. We expect them to keep fighting, but what are their chances of getting anything out of this game?
INTERESTING STATS
- Barcelona have not lost in their last six La Liga home games against Valencia
- Barcelona are undefeated in 33 of their last 37 matches against Valencia in all competitions.
- Barcelona have scored at least two goals in five of their last six home matches against Valencia in all competitions.
- Valencia are without a clean sheet in their last five games in this fixture.
- Barcelona are are yet to taste defeat at home in La Liga this season.
- Valencia have picked up just six points on the road in the league this season.
Last five meetings
29/10/22 Valencia 0-1 Barça (Lewandowski)
20/02/22 (LIGA) Valencia 1-4 Barça (Aubameyang 2, F de Jong, Pedri)
17/9/21 (LIGA) Barça 3 (Ansu Fati, Memphis, Coutinho) Valencia 1
2/5/21 (LIGA) Valencia 2-3 Barça (Messi 2, Griezmann)
19/12/20 (LIGA) Barça 2 (Messi, Araujo) Valencia 2
TEAM NEWS
Barcelona
Xavi still remains short of attacking options due to the absence of Lewandowski and Dembele, hence his reason for lifting a thing or two out of the Diego Simeone playbook at the Bernabeu. The good thing is, both are close to a return, just like Pedri, another player who has been sorely missed. Andreas Christensen has shaken off his ankle discomfort and is back in contention. Gavi and Xavi will miss this clash due to accumulation of yellow cards.
We expect a similar lineup to the Clasico due to the options available. Christensen should replace Alonso in the defense and Ansu Fati should replace Gavi up front. The midfield trio of Busquets, DeJong and Kessie performed admirably on Thursday and will feature once more, although Sergi Roberto could replace the ivorian.
Valencia
As for Los Che, Gabriel Paulista, Marcos de Sousa, Jose Gaya, Edinson Cavani, Nico Gonzalez and Jaume Domenech will miss the contest through injury.
Paulista picked up a leg problem against Real Sociedad last time out, which is likely to lead to Eray Comert coming into the middle of the defence.
Hugo Duro and Samuel Lino could be joined by Samu Castillejo in the final third of the field, while Hugo Guillamon is likely to feature in central midfield on Sunday afternoon.
Where and when are Barcelona vs Valencia playing?
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Stadium: Camp Nou
Date: Sunday 5 March
Kick-off Time: 15:15 GMT / 10:15 ET / 07:15 PT, 16:15 🇳🇬
Referee: Javier Alberola Rojas
Barcelona know their slip up against Almeria was more than a warning about complacency, and they'll look to avoid that this weekend.
Both teams come into this game on the back of a morale boosting 1-0 win, which could make for a tricky contest, but the Catalans, as always, will remain favored in this tie.
No comments:
Post a Comment