At 3:30 AM on August 18th, Valencia will face Barcelona at the Mestalla Stadium in the first round of the 2024-25 La Liga season.
Last season, the Bats, under the guidance of Baraja, successfully avoided relegation. While they were initially in contention for a European spot, they ultimately finished ninth in the league. In terms of squad reinforcement, Valencia hasn’t made any major signings. Only the loan acquisition of Sevilla striker Rafa Mir and the free transfer of goalkeeper Dimitrievski have been notable.
However, Valencia is facing the potential departure of goalkeeper Mamardashvili to Liverpool. Coach Baraja has reassured fans that Mamardashvili will be available for the first La Liga match. On the other hand, the absence of defender Mukhtar Diakhaby and captain José Luis Gayà due to injuries weakens their defensive line.
Barcelona, on the other hand, had a turbulent season last year, failing to win any trophies and facing financial difficulties that led to Xavi’s departure. New coach Flick has taken over, and the team’s style is expected to shift towards a more direct and aggressive approach. New midfield recruit Dani Olmo is poised to become a central figure in their tactics. However, Coach Flick confirmed that Olmo will not be ready for the first La Liga match.
Additionally, the Blaugrana are plagued by injuries, with players like Pedri, Araujo, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, and Ansu Fati unavailable. In their final pre-season friendly, Barcelona suffered a 0-3 defeat against Monaco. This doesn’t necessarily reflect their true strength, as they might have been holding back ahead of the new season. Before this, Barcelona drew against Manchester City and AC Milan, and defeated their arch-rivals Real Madrid 2-1.
Valencia’s current form is far from impressive, winning only one of their last six matches. In La Liga, they have gone seven matches without a win, losing five of those. Their poor performance can be attributed to their shaky defense, failing to keep a clean sheet in eight of their last 10 matches.
Historically, Barcelona enjoys a significant advantage, losing only once in the last 10 encounters. Notably, they have won six of their last seven matches against Valencia. Although Barcelona’s midfield is depleted, their overall strength remains formidable, making them likely to continue their unbeaten streak against Valencia. It is also worth noting that the referee for this match, José María Sánchez Martínez, is known for his strict officiating, averaging around 0.26 red cards and 5.66 yellow cards per game.
In terms of player availability, Valencia has several key players out due to injury, including Sergi Canós, José Gayà, Jaume Domènech, Fran Pérez, and Mukhtar Diakhaby.
Barcelona, on the other hand, is missing center-back Araujo, midfielders Gavi, Pedri, and Frenkie de Jong, forward Roque, and young midfielder Fermín, who is still on holiday. Moreover, new signing Olmo is not yet registered and cannot participate in the first La Liga match.
Former England star Gary Neville (Sky Sports commentator) said: “I’m confident in Barcelona for this match. Flick has a stronger squad than the home team.”
Expected Lineups:
Valencia (4-4-1-1): Mamardashvili; Correia, Cristian Mosquera, César Tárrega, Özkan; Diego López, Guillamón, Javier Guerra, Sergi Canós; André Almeida; Duro
Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Ter Stegen; Koundé, Christensen, Pau Kubasi, Balde; Gundogan, Casado, Bernal; Yamal, Raphinha; Lewandowski
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