RSS
ATOM
advertisement
La Liga Preview: Barcelona - Valencia
Arguably the most anticipated game of the weekend, Barca will try to recover from their recent mini-slump against los Che...
| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £70.00 | Draw £42.00 | Barcelona £14.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £65.00 | Draw £43.30 | Barcelona £14.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £80.00 | Draw £40.00 | Barcelona £14.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £85.00 | Draw £45.00 | Barcelona £14.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £75.00 | Draw £42.00 | Barcelona £13.70 |
|
Mar 12, 2010 7:30:00 AM
By Robin Bairner
Kick Off: Sunday, March 14, 2010. 19:00 CET
Camp Nou, Barcelona
The Heat Is Off... For Now
Barcelona approach Sunday night’s clash against Valencia with the pressure marginally lifted from their shoulders for the first time in several weeks.
Schadenfreude is a phenomenon common in football, and while Barca have been idle over the course of the last week, there can be little doubt that those in the Catalan capital have been rubbing their hands together at the brewing ‘crisis’ at Real Madrid.
With the focus firmly on their great rivals’ elimination from the Champions League, the pressure has suddenly shifted from the Blaugrana to los Blancos in the Spanish capital, despite the tribulations of the Camp Nou side over the last few weeks.
Pep Guardiola’s men are said by the media to be in the midst of something of a poor period themselves, losing outright control of La Primera Division last weekend when they could only muster a 2-2 draw against Almeria away from home. Previously, Barca had suffered a defeat against Atletico Madrid on Valentine’s Day, while a 1-1 tie against Stuttgart in the Champions League is cited as further evidence of their supposed crumbling.
Having spilled just 13 points all season, two wins in five competitive games can certainly constitute poor form, but only relatively. When Barcelona meet Valencia on Sunday evening they will look to dispel the whispers prophesising doom as simply malicious rumours.
With 11 wins in their previous 14 Liga matches, there will certainly need to be more concrete evidence before the panic button is pushed.
Capable
The phenomenal consistency of the top two often needs highlighted with respect to their peers. Barca and Real are so dramatically ahead of their nearest rivals that the likes of Valencia and Sevilla, great teams themselves, have simply been blown out the water.
Los Che, for example, sit third in La Liga, a gargantuan 15 points back from the leading duo, and that could easily be extended to 18 – six whole wins – by Monday morning.
While the ‘Big Two’ frequently sweep aside lesser opposition, Valencia can be troubled by the so called minnows of the league on a more regular basis. This was evidenced on Monday evening, when the Mestalla outfit were found wanting against Racing Santander, frustrated to a 0-0 home draw.
“We had many injuries and Racing played a good game and had good chances,” coach Unai Emery did his best to excuse to the press following the stalemate, but after being thumped 4-1 by Atletico Madrid and held 1-1 away to Sporting de Gijon, it’s clear that Valencia are in no position to challenge the likes of Barca on a long-term basis at the present time.
Over 90 minutes, however, los Che have the quality to match any side, and though a 1-1 midweek draw with Werder Bremen was not an ideal result, they will nevertheless carry confidence in Sunday’s game that winning is possible.
FORM GUIDE
Barcelona
DREW 2-2 (a) Almeria (Liga, March 7)
WON 2-1 (h) Malaga (Liga, February 27)
DREW 1-1 (a) Stuttgart (Champions League, February 23)
WON 4-0 (h) Racing Santander (Liga, February 20)
LOST 2-1 (a) Atletico Madrid (Liga, February 14)
Valencia
DREW 1-1 (h) Werder Bremen (Europa League, March 11)
DREW 0-0 (h) Racing Santander (Liga, March 8)
LOST 4-1 (a) Atletico Madrid (Liga, February 28)
WON 3-0 aet (h) Club Brugge (Europa League, February 25)
WON 2-1 (h) Getafe (Liga, February 22)
TEAM NEWS
Barcelona
There has been bright news on the injury front for the Blaugrana, as Thierry Henry has return to the fold and is ready for action. Seydou Keita has only a slim chance of being fit, while Eric Abidal has started training once more.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be suspended, unless an appeal on his red card is successful.
Probable Starting XI: Valdes; Dani Alves, Puyol, Pique, Maxwell; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Pedro, Henry
Valencia
No team news was available following los Che’s midweek encounter.
Frenchman Jeremy Mathieu remains a long-term concern and David Navarro will be absent for approximately another fortnight. Cesar Sanchez, Miguel, Carlos Marchena and Ever Banega are all available after missing last weekend’s encounter.
Probable Starting XI: Cesar; Miguel, Dealbert, Alexis, Bruno; Fernandes, Banega; Joaquin, Silva, Mata; Villa
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Barcelona
According to the Castrol Rankings, Lionel Messi is the best player in Europe at present. It’s difficult to argue against such a statement as the Argentine has been at his brilliant best so consistently this season. When his team most needed him last week, he drove them to a point with a brace of goals. A wonderfully player at the peak of his game.
Valencia
Much gets made of los Che’s attacking strength, but it has arguably been their defence which has impressed most this season. Shielding them superbly has been box-to-box midfielder Ever Banega, who should be relatively fresh going into this game. The Argentine has persistently excelled since the turn of the year, and he could be key to his side’s success come Sunday.
PREDICTION
Having played twice in the six days leading up to the tie, Valencia won’t necessarily be in their peak condition, but they’ve thrived on the road in Liga play this term. Equally, having had so many players banned last week may actually aid them. Barca are presently a side with worries, though this could be the night they begin to turn things around.
Barcelona 2-1 Valencia
Become a fan of Goal.com International on Facebook! Just click onto Facebook.com/Goal to join the beautiful game's leading fan community...
Camp Nou, Barcelona
The Heat Is Off... For Now
Barcelona approach Sunday night’s clash against Valencia with the pressure marginally lifted from their shoulders for the first time in several weeks.
Schadenfreude is a phenomenon common in football, and while Barca have been idle over the course of the last week, there can be little doubt that those in the Catalan capital have been rubbing their hands together at the brewing ‘crisis’ at Real Madrid.
With the focus firmly on their great rivals’ elimination from the Champions League, the pressure has suddenly shifted from the Blaugrana to los Blancos in the Spanish capital, despite the tribulations of the Camp Nou side over the last few weeks.
Pep Guardiola’s men are said by the media to be in the midst of something of a poor period themselves, losing outright control of La Primera Division last weekend when they could only muster a 2-2 draw against Almeria away from home. Previously, Barca had suffered a defeat against Atletico Madrid on Valentine’s Day, while a 1-1 tie against Stuttgart in the Champions League is cited as further evidence of their supposed crumbling.
Having spilled just 13 points all season, two wins in five competitive games can certainly constitute poor form, but only relatively. When Barcelona meet Valencia on Sunday evening they will look to dispel the whispers prophesising doom as simply malicious rumours.
With 11 wins in their previous 14 Liga matches, there will certainly need to be more concrete evidence before the panic button is pushed.
Capable
The phenomenal consistency of the top two often needs highlighted with respect to their peers. Barca and Real are so dramatically ahead of their nearest rivals that the likes of Valencia and Sevilla, great teams themselves, have simply been blown out the water.
Los Che, for example, sit third in La Liga, a gargantuan 15 points back from the leading duo, and that could easily be extended to 18 – six whole wins – by Monday morning.
While the ‘Big Two’ frequently sweep aside lesser opposition, Valencia can be troubled by the so called minnows of the league on a more regular basis. This was evidenced on Monday evening, when the Mestalla outfit were found wanting against Racing Santander, frustrated to a 0-0 home draw.
“We had many injuries and Racing played a good game and had good chances,” coach Unai Emery did his best to excuse to the press following the stalemate, but after being thumped 4-1 by Atletico Madrid and held 1-1 away to Sporting de Gijon, it’s clear that Valencia are in no position to challenge the likes of Barca on a long-term basis at the present time.
Over 90 minutes, however, los Che have the quality to match any side, and though a 1-1 midweek draw with Werder Bremen was not an ideal result, they will nevertheless carry confidence in Sunday’s game that winning is possible.
FORM GUIDE
Barcelona
DREW 2-2 (a) Almeria (Liga, March 7)
WON 2-1 (h) Malaga (Liga, February 27)
DREW 1-1 (a) Stuttgart (Champions League, February 23)
WON 4-0 (h) Racing Santander (Liga, February 20)
LOST 2-1 (a) Atletico Madrid (Liga, February 14)
Valencia
DREW 1-1 (h) Werder Bremen (Europa League, March 11)
DREW 0-0 (h) Racing Santander (Liga, March 8)
LOST 4-1 (a) Atletico Madrid (Liga, February 28)
WON 3-0 aet (h) Club Brugge (Europa League, February 25)
WON 2-1 (h) Getafe (Liga, February 22)
TEAM NEWS
Barcelona
There has been bright news on the injury front for the Blaugrana, as Thierry Henry has return to the fold and is ready for action. Seydou Keita has only a slim chance of being fit, while Eric Abidal has started training once more.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be suspended, unless an appeal on his red card is successful.
Probable Starting XI: Valdes; Dani Alves, Puyol, Pique, Maxwell; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Pedro, Henry
Valencia
No team news was available following los Che’s midweek encounter.
Frenchman Jeremy Mathieu remains a long-term concern and David Navarro will be absent for approximately another fortnight. Cesar Sanchez, Miguel, Carlos Marchena and Ever Banega are all available after missing last weekend’s encounter.
Probable Starting XI: Cesar; Miguel, Dealbert, Alexis, Bruno; Fernandes, Banega; Joaquin, Silva, Mata; Villa
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Barcelona
According to the Castrol Rankings, Lionel Messi is the best player in Europe at present. It’s difficult to argue against such a statement as the Argentine has been at his brilliant best so consistently this season. When his team most needed him last week, he drove them to a point with a brace of goals. A wonderfully player at the peak of his game.
Valencia
Much gets made of los Che’s attacking strength, but it has arguably been their defence which has impressed most this season. Shielding them superbly has been box-to-box midfielder Ever Banega, who should be relatively fresh going into this game. The Argentine has persistently excelled since the turn of the year, and he could be key to his side’s success come Sunday.
PREDICTION
Having played twice in the six days leading up to the tie, Valencia won’t necessarily be in their peak condition, but they’ve thrived on the road in Liga play this term. Equally, having had so many players banned last week may actually aid them. Barca are presently a side with worries, though this could be the night they begin to turn things around.
Barcelona 2-1 Valencia
Become a fan of Goal.com International on Facebook! Just click onto Facebook.com/Goal to join the beautiful game's leading fan community...
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £100 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power for a free bet up to £50 |
|
Thank you for your comment!
Please enter your name
Please enter your location
Please share your comment!
27 Comments
Advertisement
Inside Goal.Com
-
Fabio Capello & FA differ on public perception
The governing body played the populist game and lost a manager who still had English football's best interests at heart but would not accept responsibility without command
-
The top 20 clubs in football's money league
Deloitte's annual publication of the richest sides in football sees a familiar Spanish duo stretch their advantage over England's finest in 2010-11
-
How Capello's exit will affect England's players
As the national team enters a new era, we take a look at the players who are now destined for big things and those potentially heading for the scrapheap under a new boss
-
Cartoon: Redknapp sentenced to England service
Goal.com cartoonist Omar Momani gives us his unique take on the football news of the day ...
-
The list of clubs that could try to sign Capello
Now that the Italian is no longer the England head coach, it is likely that a number of high-profile clubs from across Europe and elsewhere will make an attempt to lure him
Advertisement
Advertisement
