Valencia vs Barcelona
The Mestalla is going to be rocking, and it is the place to be this weekend if you’re in Spain, as the La Liga match between Valencia and Barcelona is arguably the pick of the litter on matchday 1 of the 2024-25 campaign.
Barcelona failed to defend their title last season, finishing second behind Real Madrid, so they will be out for revenge under their new manager, Hansi Flick.
The Blaugrana have been one of the busiest teams this summer, and Flick is expected to parade their newest shiny toy against Los Che.
Valencia, meanwhile, finished ninth last season, a marked improvement from their 16th-place finish in 2022-23. With Ruben Baraja at the helm, Los Che are aiming for newer heights this season, with a place in European football in their sights.
Talking Points
Valencia are bit by the injury bug
Valencia limped towards the end of last season with a bad stretch of La Liga 2024 results (D2, L3) due to injuries. One can argue that if they were healthier by then, Los Che could’ve made it back to European football this year.
And it seems that the injury bug has carried over at the start of this season, as Ruben Baraja will miss at least four players in this home game against Barcelona, with Fran Perez, Mouctar Diakhaby, Jose Gaya, and Jaume Domenech all on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Stole Dimitrievski is likely to make his debut between the sticks for Valencia, as Giorgi Mamardashvili is on his way out before the end of the transfer window. Mamardashvili is bound for Liverpool after a solid run for Georgia during the Euros.
It’s not all that bad for Valencia, however, as they’ve managed to strengthen their frontline with the addition of Rafa Mir.
The Sevilla loanee is going to be an option off the bench for Ruben Baraja, as Hugo Duro and Andre Almeida, who combined for 15 goals and three assists last term, will likely lead up front.
Olmo likely to make his Barcelona debut
Despite facing major financial constraints, Barcelona still managed to pull off a huge transfer coup this summer since they acquired Dani Olmo by paying €60 million to RB Leipzig.
Olmo became a wanted man after serving as an integral cog to Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, finishing as the tournament’s joint top scorer with three goals. He is expected to be at least in the matchday squad against Valencia, as he was registered just in time for the weekend.
Like Valencia, Barcelona will miss several players, as Ronald Araujo, Gavi, and Ansu Fati are ruled out, while Pedri and Frenkie de Jong are major doubts. As a result, Pablo Torre and Marc Casado are in line to start.
Lamine Yamal is also expected to be in the side on Saturday, and he will link up with Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski in the final third.
History
Barcelona have had their way against Valencia in La Liga lately, as they’ve just lost one of their last 16 league encounters (W10, D5), with the only loss being a 2-0 result in January 2020.
However, the Blaugrana were unable to notch a league double over Los Che last season, as they were held to a 1-1 draw at the Mestalla in December before winning 4-2 in the reverse fixture in Catalunya.
Some Valencia fans may fancy their chances against Barcelona on Saturday since they have won their opening game of the season in each of their last four La Liga campaigns.
On the other hand, Barcelona were held to goalless draws in back-to-back openers against Rayo Vallecano in 2022 and Getafe in 2023. If they have another goalless draw on Saturday, the Blaugrana will be the first team in La Liga history to do so in three consecutive campaigns.
Betting Tip
The La Liga 2024 odds have Barcelona winning this weekend by a healthy margin. Hansi Flick’s side is a 1.77 favourite, while Ruben Baraja’s men are 4.12 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.42 in the 1X2 market.
If you feel that this is going to be a high-scoring match, then SBOTOP bettors can also go for Over 2.75 at 2.07, Over 2.50 at 1.83, Total Goals 2-3 at 2.00, or even Total Goals 3.14. Moreover, a Correct Score of 4-2 – the result of their previous encounter last season – has a staggering offer of 55.00.
While Valencia can put up a fight in front of their home crowd, they just don’t have enough depth to match Barcelona, especially with their growing injury list.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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