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Valencia CF vs. FC Barcelona
Barcelona could be the big beneficiary of Atletico’s defeat to Levante. The Colchoneros lost their La Liga home game 1-0 to bottom side Levante on Wednesday. Barca and Atletico are currently battling it out for 4th place in the table with 39 points each. Thus, the Rojiblancos missed their cartridge. The Catalans could now strike at the heart of the Madrilenians with a win against Valencia and thus also claim 4th place in the table for themselves.
However, the Blaugrana only played 2:2 in the Barcelona derby against Espanyol. In addition, the team of coach and club legend Xavi also only drew 1-1 with Napoli in the Europa League on Thursday.
But for Barca to drop the three points against the bats would be a surprise given Valencia’s current form. The Valencians are winless in six games and have now slipped to 12th in the table. Find out whether the Blaugrana could still stumble at the Estadio Vicente Calderón in our Valencia – Barcelona betting tip.
Valencia – Barcelona Info
– Date & Time: 20.02.2022, at 16:15h
– Venue: Valencia, Estadio Vicente Calderón
– Competition: La Liga, Matchday 25
– TV broadcast: DAZN
Valencia Form & Balance Check
Valencia’s wave of success ended on the final day of last year. After three winning games in a row, the bats lost to Espanyol on 31 December. Since then, coach Pepe Bordalas’ side have failed to win a La Liga fixture. The same means that the Valencians have been waiting for their next win of the season for six games. Since the defeat against Espanyol, Valencia have only picked up two points. The team from the port city on the south-east coast of Spain lost three of their last five games. Valencia also ended their last match against Alaves as losers with 1:2.
Increasing goals conceded
Also during Valencia’s wave of success, the bats conceded more and more goals. An example of this would be the 4:3 win against Levante. But as this result shows, Valencia have been able to compensate for the increasing goals conceded with success on the offensive. Since the defeat against Espanyol, this is no longer the case. With the exception of the 0-0 draw against Real Sociedad, Bordala’s team scored in every league match, but in each case they conceded at least one more goal than they scored themselves. The last two defeats Valencia had to cope with were both by a one-goal margin. This is another reason why Valencia’s goal difference is now negative at 36:38.
Valencia facts & analysis
– Valencia are 12th in the table with 30 points.
– The Valencians have not won for 6 games.
– The last party the bats lost with 1:2.
Barcelona form & balance check
Even though the last results don’t fully show it, there is a clear progress under coach Xavi at FC Barcelona. The club legend re-established the club’s typical 4-3-3 wing system, which has always characterised the Blaugrana. The Catalans have been unbeaten for eight games, but in the last game in the derby against Espanyol they only managed to score the 2:2 equaliser in injury time. This ended a winning streak of two games in a row. The 4:2 home victory over Atlético Madrid also showed that Barca is on the right track. Nevertheless, the Catalans have only won two of their last five games.
Take the chance away
Barcelona are currently in 4th place in the table with 39 points. However, Barca could already be third in the table with two wins in a row. The Catalans have four points less than third-placed Betis, who, however, have already played two games more. So far, Barcelona’s strength has not been scoring away from home. So far, Xavi’s team has only scored 16 of a possible 36 points away from home. But the Blaugrana have also improved as guests recently. Barcelona has been unbeaten as a visitor for eight games. In this period, Barca have won three times away from home.
Barcelona facts & analysis
– Barcelona are 4th in the table with 39 points.
– The Catalans are unbeaten for 8 games.
– Barca have also not lost away from home in 8 games
Predicted line-up – last update on 18 February 2022
Valencia last played a 4-4-2 formation. However, the bats lost their last match, which is why coach Pepe Bordalas could also return to the 5-3-2 system that Valencia previously showed on the pitch. In terms of personnel, Valencia will still have to do without regular goalkeeper Cillessen.
Coach Xavi will have to do without Piqué for the match against Valencia. The Spaniard saw the yellow-red card in the derby and will therefore be absent. The Spaniard will probably be replaced by Eric Garcia. Adama Traore could continue to play from the start. The newcomer has played his way into the starting eleven since his arrival and has not missed a game so far. Xavi will not make any changes to the system. Barca will play in a 4-3-3
Valencia – Barcelona direct comparison & Statistics
Valencia and Barcelona have already met 181 times. In this duel, Barca earned the more positive record. The Catalans won 88 games, whereas the bats could only win 48 encounters. A further 45 meetings ended in draws. The last time they met, the whistle blew 3-1 in Barcelona’s favour.
– Barcelona last won this duel twice in a row.
– Valencia have not won a match against Barca in 3 matches.
– Barcelona have lost only one of their last 10 matches against Valencia.
– Barca won the last match in Valencia with 3:2.
