La Liga: Valencia vs Barcelona Live
Preview
Barcelona will try to prevent a third consecutive loss in all competitions when they face Valencia in La Liga at Mestalla on Saturday. Xavi’s team recently lost 4-2 to Girona, leaving them in fourth place, seven points behind the leaders. Valencia also suffered a 1-0 defeat to Getafe, dropping them into the lower half of the table.
Valencia’s young team has struggled with consistency this season, winning five, drawing four, and losing seven out of 16 league matches. They currently hold the 11th position in the table with 19 points. While they went unbeaten for four games in La Liga between October 7 and November 11, they have since lost three of their last four matches, only earning one point in the process.
Despite recent losses to Girona and Getafe, they did secure a 2-1 victory over Arosa in the Copa del Rey on December 5. Last season, Valencia finished in 16th place, their worst final standing since being relegated to the Segunda Division in 1985-86. Therefore, there is still room for improvement this season, and despite their recent struggles, there have been some positive aspects for the team.
Barcelona is currently facing challenges with their recent losses to Girona and Royal Antwerp in La Liga and the Champions League. There are concerns about Xavi’s position as head coach, and it’s been suggested that another defeat could lead to the board considering removing him from his role.
Despite their 3-2 loss to Antwerp, Barcelona secured their spot in the Champions League knockout round as group winners. However, their 4-2 home defeat to Girona has left them in fourth place in La Liga, trailing the leaders by seven points. While they have had some setbacks in domestic fixtures, their advancement to the last-16 stage of the Champions League is a positive development. Barcelona needs to secure wins in their upcoming matches against Valencia and Rayo Vallecano to avoid further complications for Xavi.
Head-to-Head
Valencia has been defeated in their last five La Liga matches against Barcelona, including 1-0 losses both at home and away last season. Their most recent win against Barcelona was a 2-0 victory in January 2020.
Prediction
Barcelona frequently achieve favorable outcomes when they are most crucial, and we believe that Xavi will secure a significant victory on Saturday evening. Valencia’s absence of key players may be detrimental to their performance, while Barcelona will be particularly motivated for this match following their recent unsatisfactory results.
