Valencia vs Barcelona kicks off on 6 Sept 2026 at 10:15 EST and 15:15 GMT.
Defending champions Barca look like the team to beat
Barca boss Hansi Flick handed starts to Adami, Raphinha, Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal and Espart in the champions' opening assignment against Elche, and the Catalans were far too good for their hosts, running out 5-0 winners. They've followed that up with a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao and a 5-2 win over Rayo Vallecano.
Getty ImagesTough start for Los Che
Valencia have only claimed a single point from their opening three LaLiga games, with Nigerian striker Umar Sadiq scoring their only goal of the campaign so far, in a 3-1 defeat to Deportivo La Coruna. Things don't get easier with a clash against the champions.
Key players, injury news & stats
- Lamine Yamal's second goal against Rayo Vallecano was his 50th for the club, the youngest player in Europe's top five leagues to hit that milestone.
- None of the last 40 meetings between these sides has ended goalless.
- Raphinha has scored five LaLiga goals this season for Barca.
Getty ImagesBarcelona transfers
Spain's World Cup Golden Ball winner Rodri is the marquee signing, joining from Man City in a deal worth an initial €60 million. In attack, Anthony Gordon (€70 million), Karim Adeyemi (€22 million) and Jesse Bisiwu (€8.5 million) have all arrived to replace the departed Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford.
Getty ImagesLikely XIs
Valencia (532): Dimitrievski; Rioja, Martínez, Diakhaby, Tarrega, Vázquez; Urginic, Pepelu, Sato; Guerra, Sadiq.
Barcelona (4231): Garcia; Kounde, Christensen, Cubarsi, Espart; Bernal, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Gordon; Raphinha.
Team news & squads
Valencia vs Barcelona Probable lineups
Manager
- C. Corberan
Carlos Corberan is without several first-team players for the visit of Barcelona. Sergi Canos, Diego Lopez, Jose Copete, Guido Rodriguez, and Justin De Haas are all listed as injured, leaving the Valencia squad stretched heading into the fixture. No suspensions are currently recorded for the home side.
Hansi Flick has his own absentees to manage. Roony Bardghji, Frenkie de Jong, and Gavi remain sidelined through injury for Barcelona. No probable lineup has been confirmed for either side, and further updates are expected closer to kick-off.
Form
Valencia have won one, drawn one, and lost three of their last five matches across all competitions. Their most recent outing ended in a 3-1 LaLiga defeat to Deportivo de A Coruna on August 30, and before that they lost 1-0 to Real Betis. A 0-0 draw with Celta Vigo sits between those two defeats. Valencia's only win in the run came in a pre-season friendly against Hercules, 2-0. They have scored two goals and conceded five across their three competitive matches this season.
Barcelona have won four of their last five matches, with their only defeat coming in a pre-season friendly against Udinese. Since then, they have not lost, beating Al Ahly, Basel, Elche, and Athletic Bilbao in succession. Across those four wins, Barcelona scored 14 goals and conceded two, including a 5-0 win over Elche and a 2-0 result against Athletic Bilbao in their most recent LaLiga outing.
Head-to-Head Record
Head to Head
The most recent meeting between these sides came in LaLiga on May 23, 2026, when Valencia beat Barcelona 3-1 at Estadio Mestalla. Before that, the head-to-head record reads heavily in Barcelona's favour. Barcelona won 6-0 at home in September 2025, beat Valencia 5-0 in the Copa del Rey in February 2025, and recorded a 7-1 victory in LaLiga in January 2025. Across the last five meetings, Barcelona hold four wins to Valencia's one, scoring 21 goals and conceding five.
Standings
In LaLiga, Valencia currently sit 18th, while Barcelona are fourth after the opening weeks of the season.