Earlier this week, Barcelona played a part in one of the greatest matches in the history of football. Unfortunately for their fans, they were on the losing side. I’m talking, of course, about the Champions League match with Roma, which they lost 3:0, thus getting knocked out of the competition.
What this means is that Barça now need to focus on winning La Liga. They’re very close to achieving that goal, but there are still seven rounds left to play. One of their toughest challenges is the Barcelona vs. Valencia game that takes play on Saturday afternoon at Camp Nou.
Barcelona vs. Valencia Match Preview
Barcelona
Getting knocked out of the Champions League surely came as a massive shock to Barcelona players. After all, they had a 4:1 advantage before the match in Rome. There’s no doubt that this was one of the biggest failures in the club’s 118-years-long history. But, they need to move on. Otherwise, they might make themselves even bigger problems. Like, failing to win La Liga title, for example.
Although Barça have 11 points more than the second-placed Atletico Madrid, there are still seven rounds left to be played. Obviously, it seems impossible for Barça not to win the title this year. Even if Atletico win all the matches until the end of the season, the trophy will go to Barça if they grab as little as 10 points. But, they can’t take any chances – Barça need to get ahold of the title as soon as possible.
It seems that Barça would love to win La Liga trophy by beating their arch rivals, Real Madrid at Camp Nou. El Clasico is scheduled for the 6th of May, but before that game, Barca has three more matches to play. After the game with Valencia, they will play two away matches, against Celta and Deportivo. So, if they win each of those games, a win in El Clasico would bring them the trophy.
Of course, they might get to claim it even earlier if Atletico lose a couple of points. Still, this doesn’t mean that Barça won’t give their utmost to beat Valencia. They need a big win on Saturday just as a way of saying “sorry” to their fans.
Valencia
With 3 points less than Atletico, Valencia have a pretty decent chance to overtake the 2nd spot. After the clash with Barça, they have a pretty easy schedule ahead, so it wouldn’t be a big surprise if they ended the season as La Liga runner-ups.
Another reason why that wouldn’t be a massive surprise is that they’ve been playing very well recently. This team has won five matches in a row, allowing only one goal along the way. But, is that enough to outplay Barcelona at Camp Nou?
Well, honestly, I don’t think so. Valencia have a number of amazing players in their team, but I don’t think that they have the quality needed to beat or even play a draw with Barça.
Team News
Barcelona absentees:
- Lucas Digne (doubtful)
- Sergio Busquets (doubtful)
Valencia absentees:
- Francis Coquelin (injury)
Possible Lineups
Barcelona:
Ter Stegen – Pique, Umtiti, Sergi Roberto, Alba – Paulinho, Rakitic, Iniesta – Dembele, Messi, Suarez
Valencia:
Neto – Garay, Murillo, Gabriel, Gaya – Kondogbia, Parejo, Guedes – Zaza, Soler, Rodrigo
Barcelona vs. Valencia Match Prediction
Barcelona have an obligation toward their fans to win this game, because of the midweek failure in the Champions League. They have what it takes to win this match big, which is why my betting tip is to go with Barcelona & Over 2.5 goals.
Barcelona vs. Valencia Betting Tips
- Barcelona @1.26 (bet365)
- Over 2.5 Goals @1.40 (Unibet)
- Barcelona & Over 2.5 Goals @1.67 (Ladbrokes)
