Valencia vs Barcelona - La Liga: Team news, lineups & prediction
Valencia welcome Barcelona to Estadio Mestalla in the Spanish top flight on Saturday night.
Gennaro Gattuso has steadied a rocking ship after arriving at a club in revolt last summer, with fans turning on an owner selling off the team's crucial and cherished players. Valencia made a £39m profit in the most recent transfer market.
Barcelona, it's safe to say, were very much in the red last summer. Inter's victory against Viktoria Plzen in midweek worsened their bleak financial future by condemning the Catalans to the Europa League. A blow which was compounded by another 3-0 humbling dished out by Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.
Here's everything you need to know about the meeting between this pair.
Where are Valencia vs Barcelona playing?
- Location: Valencia, Spain
- Stadium: Estadio Mestalla
- Date: Saturday 29 October
- Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 EST / 12:00 PST
- VAR: Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva
- Referee: Ricardo De Burgo Bengoetxea
Valencia vs Barcelona H2H Results (Last Five Games)
Valencia: 1 Win
Barcelona: 3 Wins
Draws: 1
Current Form (Last Five Games)
Valencia: DWDDL
Barcelona: DLWWL
Valencia team news
Yunus Musah will serve his one-game suspension on Saturday night after collecting his fifth yellow card of the season in last weekend's loss to Mallorca.
Mouctar Diakhaby pulled up with a hamstring strain within the opening five minutes of that defeat to the island outfit. Samu Castillejo is a significant doubt after missing the previous four outings with a back problem while goalkeeper Jaume Domenech has been sidelined with an ACL tear since September.
Ilaix Moriba has been denied a reunion with his former side after suffering an adductor strain during a training session ahead of the contest. Loanee Nico Gonzalez, however, may well line up against his parent club.
Valencia predicted lineup vs Barcelona
Valencia Starting 11 (4-3-3): Mamardashvili; Correia, Gabriel, Ozkacar, Gaya; Nico, Guillamon, Almeida; Kluivert, Cavani, Samuel.
Bench: Herrerin, Cristian, Lato, Duro, Foulquier, Vazquez, Maranhao, Perez, Mosquera.
Barcelona team news
Sergi Roberto had to be stretchered off during Barcelona's 4-0 thumping of Athletic Club after dislocating his shoulder last weekend. The makeshift full-back joins fellow defenders Ronald Araujo (hip) and Andreas Christensen (ankle) on the sidelines.
Memphis Depay is also a doubt with a hamstring problem but Gavi shook off a blow to his adductor to make the bench against Bayern Munich in midweek.
Barcelona predicted lineup vs Valencia
Barcelona Starting 11 (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Balde, Kounde, Garcia, Alba; Gavi, De Jong, Pedri; Torres, Lewandowski, Fati.
Bench: Pena, Pique, Dembele, Kessie, Busquets, Raphinha, Alonso, Torre, Bellerin.
Valencia vs Barcelona score prediction
This is a meeting between two of La Liga's most intense pressing outfits. Only Real Sociedad work against the ball as aggressively as Valencia and Barcelona in the Spanish top flight, ensuring that both boast an impressive defensive record in open play.
Despite a strong set of underlying numbers, Valencia have fallen on the wrong side of narrow contests of late. Barcelona may still be licking their wounds from what Spanish sports daily AS described as a "night of terror". But the Catalans should have enough to shade what promises to be an enthralling contest.
Prediction: Valencia 1-2 Barcelona