Not many teams have to play hosts to Barcelona in their very first game in charge, but that is the daunting task awaiting Valencia having recently appointed Gary Neville as their new manager.
The former Manchester United defender, who remains England’s assistant manager, recently left his position as a Sky Sports pundit to claim his new role as Nuno Espirito Santo’s replacement.
No worries, though, the Englishman trolled Jamie Carragher one last time before quitting Sky Sports.
This is final-thank you to @SkySportsMNF and the team. Special mention to @skysports_ed who is brilliant and @Carra23 who's actually alright
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) December 3, 2015
The 40-year-old, however, will merely occupy a seat in the director’s box on Saturday when the Blaugrana come rolling in, with brother Phil and caretaker manager Salvador Gonzalez Voro charged with stopping the Liga BBVA leaders hot on their heels.
Easier said than done, though, with the Catalan giants entering into the weekend clash fresh of back-to-back 4-0 wins over Real Madrid and Real Sociedad.
Team news
Not only will the Blanquinegros have to face-off against the Spanish top-flight champions, led by the MSN attacking trio who Luis Enrique hailed as “the best forward line this club has ever had”, they will have to do this with 10 players missing.
MSN have scored 133 goals this year, more than any other European side
Most GOALS in year 2015 (top 5 lgs) Barça 160 MSN 133 Bayern 125 PSG 124 Dortmund 113 RM 112 133: Messi 48 Neymar 45 Suarez 40
— Sextuple (@BarcaStat) November 29, 2015
Goalkeeper Diego Alves is out until the New Year with a torn cruciate ligament, whilst three defenders – Antonio Barragan, Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Orban – are all out with injuries.
Sofiane Feghouli, Andre Gomes, Alvaro Negredo and Rodrigo Moreno complete Valencia’s injury list, whilst Joao Cancelo and Javi Fuego will not feature due to suspension.
Over to Barcelona’s camp and no new injuries have rocked Luis Enrique’s side. Rafinha and Douglas remain on the sidelines with long-term injuries, Sergi Roberto and Jeremy Mathieu are doubts for the Mestalla trip.
Recent form
The Camp Nou side are currently one of Europe’s most in-form sides, having scored 21 goals en route to a 6-game winning streak.
The league leaders will head into Saturday’s game fresh of their 4-0 win over Real Sociedad, a game which saw Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar all score.
Messi since his return from injury in El Clasico
3 Goals already since his return! Best in the World! #WeAreMessi #Messi pic.twitter.com/s5N8rXX2fv
— Lionel Messi #10 (@WeAreMessi) November 28, 2015
Valencia, however, will enter the game fresh of their 1-0 defeat to Sevilla, their 4th loss of the season, as they slumped to 9th spot, 14 points behind Barcelona.
Head-to-head
Barcelona have gone 7 games undefeated in La Liga at the Mestalla, with their last away defeat to Valencia coming back in 2007 courtesy of a 2-1 loss.
Furthermore, the Blaugrana's last six trips to Valencia's home ground has handed them 3 wins and 3 draws, not very surprising from a side who has won 13 of their last 16 away matches in La Liga.
Key match facts
- Barca’s Neymar leads the Spanish Primera Division goalscoring chart with 14 goals.
- Luis Suarez is second with 12 goals in 2015-16.
- MSN have scored 30 of the Blaugrana’s 33 goals this campaign.
- Valencia have gone for 7 Liga BBVA games without a win against the Catalan giants at the Mestalla.
- The Blanquinegros, however, remain undefeated in their last 18 home matches in La Liga.
Which channel is broadcasting Valencia vs Barca on TV or Online?
Are you able to attend the Mestalla to watch the match live? If so, all the props to you. If not, no need to feel sad, because Live Soccer TV has got you covered with all the live stream and TV listings info you need. Here are some options for fans residing in the following countries:
In the USA at 14:30 EST on: fuboTV, beIN Sports USA, beIN Sports en Español, beIN SPORTS CONNECT U.S.A.
In the UK at 19:30 EST on: NOW TV UK, Sky Go UK, Sky Sports 2/HD, SKY GO Extra
In Canada at 14:30 EST on: beIN Sports en Español, beIN Sports Canada, beIN SPORTS CONNECT Canada
Are you elsewhere in the world? If so, LiveSoccerTV.com still has you covered. Simply visit our special Valencia vs Barca broadcast page for viewing options and times for your specific location.
*Note: Live broadcast data is subject to change*
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Follow the game on-the-go
Download our iOS and Android apps to follow soccer on-the-go. It comes packed with features - live scores, fixtures, results, tables, line-ups, stats, TV schedule and much more! Sorry, no live streaming within the app.
