Watch Barcelona vs Valencia live news.
Watch Barcelona vs Valencia live news.
By totalbarcacom Valencia reach at the Camp Nou for the 22nd round of spanish La Liga in the expectation of ending their run of five games without a win. In the meantime, FC Barcelona will look to put a few points difference between them and joint-point leaders Atlético, and spread the difference with Real Madrid, hoping that they both stumble against Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao gradually.
The Catalan club seems to have dealt well with the administrative drama surrounding the club and Neymar, and as the Brazilian nears a return to action, it will take the players even more effort to keep the ongoing trouble away from their football.
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FC Barcelona
The team has to make-do without the injured Neymar, Jonathan Dos Santos and Oier, while Ibrahim Afellay, Carles Puyol, Isaac Cuenca and Martín Montoya miss out the final 18-man squad. Although Montoya and Puyol missed the last La Liga game against Málaga through injury, their exclusion this time is purely tactical. Afellay has featured in 25 minutes over two games since returning from a long injury, but his return to full match fitness will be suspended for this important game against Valencia for other more fully fit players.
Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Dani Alves come back into the squad, after missing out the 5-1 victory over Levante in midweek.
Víctor Valdés is a sure starter, with the likely fullbacks being Dani Alves and Jordi Alba. Javier Mascherano started the last league game, with Marc Bartra starting in the Copa instead, but it will likely be the Argentine who starts alongside Gerard Piqué as they are Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino’s main central defensive partnership. What is interesting though, is Mascherano’s introduction in the last few minutes of the Copa game as a holding midfielder, which is his original role. So the next step in the Tata-rotation is likely going to be the deployment of Alex Song as an attacking midfielder, with the Argentinian in the middle, or even with Busquets in the line-up.
Sergio Busquets will, of course, start with Xavi and Andrés Iniesta completing the formidable midfield trio.
Alexis Sánchez’ and Pedro Rodríguez ’ form make them likelier to start ahead of Cesc Fàbregas and Cristian Tello, while Lionel Messi acts as the central striker, dropping deep depending on the progress of the game, and how quickly Barça scores.
Match squad: Valdés, Pinto, Piqué, Fàbregas, Xavi, Pedro, Iniesta, Alexis, Messi, Mascherano, Bartra, Sergio, Song, Adriano, Jordi Alba, Tello, Dani Alves, Sergi Roberto.
Predicted starting XI: Valdés; Alves, Piqué, Mascherano,
