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FC Barcelona vs. Valencia CF
The Spanish La Liga continues in regular action this weekend after the international break. One of the stories of the season so far has been the fall from grace of the sporting and financially troubled FC Barcelona after the departure of Lionel Messi in the summer. On matchday 9, Barca will face Valencia FC on Sunday at 21:00. Coach Ronald Koeman’s chair has been wobbling for some time, but he is still in charge and wants to turn things around with his team. We predict whether he will succeed on Sunday in the following Barcelona vs Valencia tip.
Barca are currently in ninth place in La Liga with twelve points from seven games. Despite the mood of crisis, the sporting situation is not as hopeless as it is sometimes portrayed. The Catalans have only lost one league game and even have a game in hand. Valencia are in eighth place with the same number of points, but one game and one defeat more than Barcelona. The bats are well on their way to recovering from last season’s disastrous campaign, which ended in 13th place.
Barcelona vs Valencia info
– Date & Time: 17/10/2021, at 21:00.
– Venue: Barcelona, Camp Nou (99.354 spectators)
– Competition: La Liga, Matchday 9
– TV broadcast: DAZN
Barcelona Form & Balance Check
The Catalans’ mixed start to the season almost turned into a real crisis in the final week before the international break. On the second matchday of the Champions League, Barcelona conceded their second 3-0 defeat of the competition against Benfica Lisbon. In the subsequent top match in the league, Barca was without much of a chance in the 0:2 against champions Atletico. If Koeman’s position was already uncertain before, his chair is now wobbling very threateningly. Sunday’s match against Valencia could be his last if he fails to pick up three points.
Lights during the week
There is some positive news for Barca fans in these difficult times, however. On the one hand, the Corona regulations have recently been relaxed in Catalonia, so that the Camp Nou could be sold out again at the weekend for the first time in a year and a half. In addition, super-talented Pedri was extended, and the exit clause stipulated by the league is one billion euros. Last but not least, Sergio Aguero and Ousmane Dembele finally entered team training after their injury breaks and could already be an option on Sunday. Both have been sorely missed and are expected to provide relief for summer addition Memphis Depay.
Barcelona facts & analysis
– 9th place in the league
– Last lost 0:2 at Atletico
– Still have one catch-up game to play
Valencia form & balance check
Valencia have fallen into a bit of a performance slump of late after a hugely promising start to the season. In the first four league games, the bats picked up a strong ten points, but then came the difficult games against Real Madrid and Sevilla FC. Both were lost, and Valencia also failed to pick up a win from the next two games. Bilbao (1:1) and Cadiz (0:0) both drew. As a result, coach Jose Bordalas’ team has dropped to eighth place.
Storm problems in Valencia?
Valencia’s recent rather mediocre offensive form could have something to do with the fact that their strikers rarely score. With Carlos Soler (three goals) and Goncalo Guedes (two goals), two established midfielders are the club’s top scorers. The former scored all three of his goals in the first three games of the season, but then suffered an injury in the clash with Real Madrid and had to be substituted after just fifteen minutes. It remains to be seen whether the substitute captain will be able to play again at the weekend against Barcelona.
Valencia facts & analysis
– 8th place in the league
– Finished 13th last season
– Last played 0-0 against Cadiz
Predicted line-up – last update on 15 Oct 2021
There are some intriguing questions to be answered at Barca regarding the line-up. Dembele and Aguero should return to the squad, but is it enough for the starting eleven yet? Is Pedri, who was enormously overloaded in the summer, ready to play again after muscular problems? Can shooting star Gavi build on his strong performance in the Nations League? And is hopeful Ansu Fati finally back in the starting eleven? All these questions will be answered on Sunday.
On the side of the Valencians, ex-Barca player Cilessen will be in goal, and Alderete, a former Hertha player, will be in central defence. In attack, Maxi Gomez returns from suspension and if Soler is fit, he should at least make a squad comeback
Barcelona – Valencia direct comparison & Statistics
The overall balance between FC Barcelona and FC Valencia is clearly in favour of the Catalans. In total, both clubs have already met 187 times in league and cup. Barca have won 89 of these games, while Granada have won 49, with a further 49 games ending in draws. The two comparisons last season ended in a draw (first leg) and with a win for Barcelona (second leg).
– The most common result between FC Barcelona and Valencia CF is 1-1. 10 matches ended like this.
– On average FC Barcelona score 2.2 goals against Valencia CF and Valencia CF score 2 goals against FC Barcelona.
– The average number of goals scored in a clash between FC Barcelona and Valencia CF is 4.2.
– The average number of goals scored in the first half in matches between FC Barcelona and Valencia CF is 1.4.
– The comparisons between the two clubs last season: 2-2 (home to FC Barcelona) and 2-3 (home to Valencia CF).
