Overview
After a regrettable draw against Getafe in round 20 of La Liga, Barcelona found the joy of victory again by defeating Benfica 5-4 in the Champions League.
Overall, Blaugrana's recent form has been relatively impressive with 6 unbeaten matches (including 5 wins). In particular, they won the Spanish Super Cup after defeating Real Madrid.
Barcelona's attacking prowess remains formidable under coach Hansi Flick. In just the last five games, they have scored 22 goals, an average of 4.4 goals per game. Strikers Lewandowski and Raphinha, after being quiet against Getafe, took turns scoring against Benfica with a brace each.
Meanwhile, Valencia have been unbeaten in their last four games, winning three and drawing one. However, two-thirds of Los Ches' victories have come in the Copa del Rey against weaker teams like Eldense and Ourense. Therefore, fans of the Mestalla team will certainly be very worried when Valencia have to play away against Barca.
Remember, within the framework of La Liga, coach Carlos Corberan's team has never won away from home since the beginning of the season (lost 6, drew 4).
Hugo Duro has been key in Valencia's survival journey, scoring in two of their last three La Liga games.
Barcelona dominate Valencia in terms of head-to-head record. In the last 9 matches, Blaugrana won 8 and drew 1, scoring an average of 2.1 goals per match against Los Ches. The Catalan team is likely to win this match again.
Human resources situation
Dani Olmo is absent for Barcelona along with Inigo Martinez and Marc Bernal. Raphinha will feature up front alongside Lamine Yamal and Lewandowski. Meanwhile, Frenkie de Jong could be given a chance in midfield after coming off the bench in the Champions League.
Cristhian Mosquera is suspended, while Umar Sadiq, Rafa Mir and Luis Rioja are all injured. Los Ches are likely to retain most of the players who beat Real Sociedad with Duro leading the attack, although Hugo Guillamon could be relied upon in defence.
Expected lineup:
Barcelona: Szczesny, Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde, De Jong, Pedri, Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha, Lewandowski.
Valencia: Mamardashvili, Gaya, Guillamon, Tarrega, Foulquier, Barrenechea, Guerra, Pepelu, Perez, Almeida, Duro.
The match between Barcelona and Valencia takes place at 3:00 a.m. on January 27 (Vietnam time).
