Barcelona will be looking to get some momentum going against Valencia after their win against Deportivo.
Form
In terms of form, Barcelona have won their last two games. However, prior to that they lost against Celta Vigo. They’ve been sluggish so far this season compared to their usual standards with seven wins from their last ten games. Valencia have recently appointed Cesare Prandelli as manager after a poor start to the season. They have only had one game so far under him, which was a win, therefore making it impossible to understand how successful they will be under him and how much it will affect this individual game. It also makes their form previous to that match relatively obsolete due to the change in moral and so forth.
Squads
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After the game against Manchester City, Barcelona has a few more injuries to contend with. Jordi Alba and Gerard Piqué are both out for a few weeks and Jasper Cillessen is still out after picking up an injury in the international break. The injuries to the two defenders weaken Barcelona significantly, but they have able deputies that can replace them. Rafinha and Turan are late withdrawals from the squad due to injury. Valencia only have Nani out with an injury, but there is a slight chance he could return for this match.
History
Recent matches between the two have been relatively equal especially at the Mestalla Stadium. In the last five games at the Mestalla, Barcelona have only won twice with draws in the other games. Out of the last ten meetings, Barça have won five times and Valencia have been successful twice. Lionel Messi has an impressive record against Els Taronjes with fourteen goals in the last ten games. He isn’t alone though because Luis Suárez also has an impressive haul against them with a total of six goals in five games. With the great form they are in currently they will both be hoping to add to their respective records. Suárez also picked up his Golden Ball trophy yesterday due to being the top scorer in the major European Leagues last season. Neymar signed a new contract yesterday as well, so they will both be hoping to celebrate their achievements with goals.
Playing Style
Prior to Prandelli’s appointment, Valencia were playing possession based football with the ability to go direct if needed. Based on the previous match, it looks like Prandelli is carrying this on, but with some added defensive stability. He is known for playing attacking-minded football with an emphasis on the tiki-taka style of play. However, he likes to ensure his team are decisive with the ball rather than just keeping possession for the sake of it. This is complimented by the ability he has to form an organized defense which he builds the rest of his team around.
They will have to play differently against Barça though because the Catalans will control the game and dictate the tempo of the game. The inability to play their preferred style of play will hinder Valencia severely which will suit Barcelona. Luis Enrique has a dilemma in terms of how to set up for the match because Javier Mascherano excelled at right back against Manchester City, so he will have to choose between setting up in a 3-4-3 or a 4-3-3 formation. Regardless of the tactical setup, Barcelona should be able to cut apart this team, and limit their effectiveness on the counter-attack. Therefore, I can only see this going one way, even though history suggests otherwise. However, the leakiness of Barça’s defense this season suggests that both teams will score.
Prediction: Valencia CF 1-3 FC Barcelona
Potential Lineups
Most likely lineup.
Alternate lineup without fullbacks.