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Valencia vs Sporting Gijón Preview
Struggling Valencia are still in search of their first La Liga victory in 2012. Can they find it at home to Sporting Gijon this weekend?
As weeks go by, it seems like Los Che will do just enough to maintain the third and last automatic UEFA Champions League spot in La Liga. Chances to considerably widen the gap against fourth-placed Levante have been wasted. Valencia have picked up only 4 points from their previous 5 matches.Following their Copa del Rey exit, Valencia can focus on hitting higher standards in the Spanish Primera Division. However, underdogs Sporting Gijon could complicate things for Los Che. This fact must be underlined: Valencia’s last home match in La Liga ended in a shocking defeat to Real Sociedad.
Barcelona vs Valencia Preview
Barcelona drew 1-1 with Valencia last week in the first leg of their Copa del Rey match in the semi-finals, and so the second leg encounter on Wednesday evening will be more than a simple game.
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Pep Guardiola’s creativity will be put to the test as his list of absentees has expanded. Sergio Busquets is a doubt due to a knee injury and Pedro could also start on the bench or remain sidelined.
There are absolutely no chances of playing for Ibrahim Afellay, Andreu Fontas, Andres Iniesta and David Villa. Seydou Keita is also out for good, as he is currently on duty with the Malian national team in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
For Valencia, the presences of Hedwiges Maduro and Sergio Canales have been ruled out, but Bruno could add his contribution to his team’s efforts at the Camp Nou. Players who are set to return to action after a rest during the weekend are Xavi Hernandez, Gerard Pique, Alexis Sanchez, Ever Banega and Jonas.
Atlético Madrid vs Valencia Preview
Third-placed Valencia will face Atletico Madrid in a crucial encounter on Sunday night. What’s next for the prospective Copa del Rey finalists in La Liga?
Atletico Madrid have the advantage. They know that Los Che will be playing with the Spanish cup tie against Barcelona in their mind. They also know that European football is within their reach. Atletico are 7th in the standings ahead of Matchday 21. Beating Los Che will boost their confidence.
Three of both teams’ last 6 meetings ended in a draw. Valencia have the upper hand in terms of head-to-head following their 1-0 victory at the Mestalla in the first half of La Liga. However, the differences between Atletico Madrid and Valencia are tight.
Valencia vs Barcelona Report
The game started well with a good number of free-kicks for Barcelona. Soldado and Piatti also showed much resilience for Valencia, forcing the Barca defence to be highly alert.
Lionel Messi nearly scored the opener on 16 minutes when he escaped a series of challenges to fire a shot, but his last effort was blocked. It was just a minute after that controversy again took its place in the game; an angry home crowd would have loved to see Pinto get sent off for handling the ball outside the box, but the referee kept his cards.A ping pong game didn’t lack of potential and excitement, but Valencia were the first to get favoured. With the help of Mathieu, an unmarked Jonas confidently put the hosts in front.
But the visitors never stopped trying to get back into the game. They were rewarded for their efforts before half-time, and Carles Puyol was the man to praise as he headed home from a corner to level the game.
Why Barcelona should fear potential 2012 Copa del Rey finalists Valencia
Valencia possess the power to punish inconsistent Barcelona in the semis of the 2011/12 Copa del Rey. Will Los Che satisfy the fuming fans of quarter-final victims Real Madrid?
One of the major problems at Barca presently is that Pep Guardiola is facing severe squad setbacks. As if it wasn’t enough to lose David Villa to a long-term injury, the manager will have to deal with the absence of Pedro Rodgriguez, Andreu Fontas, Ibrahim Affelay and key man Andres Iniesta. As Barcelona’s injury list grows, it looks like their chances of ending the year successfully on the domestic front are decreasing. For now, let’s not talk about the Catalans’ situation in La Liga where they've lost 13 points in 10 matches away from home. In the Copa del Rey, Barcelona could find immense comfort; that is, if Valencia don’t put an end to their hunt.
“We are not getting the balance of last year,” Dani Alves admitted following his side’s disappointing goalless draw away to Villarreal last weekend. One of the many questions is whether Barca can overcome the away ground factor and punish Valencia for their poor passing game.
Valencia vs Barcelona Preview
The Copa del Rey semis kick off on Wednesday night for Valencia, as they welcome FC Barcelona at the Mestalla in the first leg of their fixture.
Barcelona narrowly edged past Real Madrid in the quarter finals, using their 2-1 away victory to knock out their rivals 4-3 on aggregate. Conversely, Valencia enjoyed an easy qualification into the semis with a whopping 7-1 aggregate win over Levante.Coincidentally, neither Los Che nor Los Cules were able to grab triumphs at the weekend in La Liga. Valencia shared a point away to Racing Santander following a 2-2 draw, while Barca were restricted to a goalless draw against Villarreal.
Both sides sit comfortably in the Top 3 of La Liga, but their additional work in the Primera Division will have to be put on hold for the meantime. There seems to be some injury problems for Valencia coach Unai Emery, with Mehmet Topal and Ever Banega not likely to perform.
Barcelona-Real Madrid rivalry takes its toll in 2011/12 La Liga race: No more rest for the Catalans
Can FC Barcelona afford to drop any more points with a Real Madrid side that might have found their groove? Not if they want to defend their Liga title.
A 100% record in La Liga was probably not FC Barcelona’s aim at the start of the season; but in view of Real Madrid’s solidification, they are advised to go for perfection.Yes, Barcelona have been trying to give their fans the very best. Surely, never did they allow themselves to get carried away by complaisance; but in contrast, their results in La Liga have not always been positive.
Failing to accomplish missions or dropping points are things that can happen from time to time. Yet, mistakes seem to get massive exposure when they come at an unexpected moment.
Racing Santander vs Valencia Preview
Valencia will lock horns with Racing Santander at El Sardinero in the penultimate game of Matchday 20. Kick-off time for Racing Santander vs Valencia is at 5:00pm GMT and 12:00pm EST on Sunday.
Los Che are yet to record a league win in 2012. After ending 2011 with a comprehensive 2-0 defeat of Malaga, they opened this year with a 2-2 draw away to Villarreal. This is a game they could have won but a bad start to it saw them conceded 2 goals during the first 20 minutes. It took a late strike from Aduriz to snatch a point for the visitors.
Valencia then hosted Real Sociedad with the task of bouncing back from their draw against the Yellow Submarines. Unfortunately for Los Che, Sociedad’s underdog spirit was too strong to overcome. Despite gathering as much as 61% of ball possession, Valencia lost 1-0 at the end of the day only to lift some pressure off the shoulders of second-placed Barcelona.
Osasuna vs Valencia Preview
Sunday’s action in La Liga opens with an early match between Osasuna and Valencia. Kick-off time is at 6:00am EST (11:00am GMT).
Third-placed Valencia will be looking to bounce back from their surprise defeat to Real Sociedad. Considering the strength of Real Madrid and Barcelona at the top of the standings, it looks like Los Che should aim for nothing more and for nothing less than a third-place finish. As things stand, they are on their way to securing an automatic spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League competition. Valencia have a comfortable four-point advantage over Levante in the standings.
They are also six points clear from the UEFA Europa League zone which is currently occupied by fifth-placed Espanyol and sixth-placed Athletic Bilbao. Los Che can contemplate hitting 37 points and creating a seven-point gap over Levante temporarily.
Can Valencia finish in the top two in La Liga this season?
Valencia seems to always fight for a third-place finish in La Liga. Can they finish in the top two this season?
Valencia was trailing Barcelona by just four points just two weeks ago. When they fell 0-1 to Real Sociedad last week, they allowed Barca to skip ahead and form a seven point bridge. One fact will give Valencia some hope. This season, Barca is dropping points quite often. They even squandered a 2-0 lead against Real Betis before going on to win 4-2.While Barca might have lost only once, they have dropped points in no less than six matches. Valencia has dropped points in eight matches which include four losses. When the two sides played each other, Valencia led 2-1 but had to be satisfied with a draw thanks to Cesc Fabregas. Valencia was the better team for the better part of that match and later rued missing so many opportunities.
Valencia vs Real Sociedad Preview
Los Che have every reason to prepare for Saturday’s 9:00pm GMT (4:00pm EST) kick-off against Real Sociedad with total concentration despite their opponents’ small size on paper.
Real Sociedad are fiercely battling against the prospect of falling into the relegation zone. As things stand, they occupy the 16th spot in La Liga. However, things are very tight in the bottom half of La Liga’s table. Only three points separate the 11th position from the 17th place. Primera Division survival is not guaranteed for Sociedad so Valencia must prepare to face a stubborn side this weekend.
Although it could be hard to believe, the truth is that Real Sociedad haven’t lost in La Liga since November 6 when Rayo Vallecano destroyed them 4-0 in front of 12,500 spectators. The team’s 6-match unbeaten run includes goalless draws against Espanyol, Racing Santander and Osasuna as well as 3-2 wins over Real Betis and Malaga.
Villarreal vs Valencia Preview
Villarreal and Valencia will engage in a 5:00pm GMT (12:00pm EST) battle at El Madrigal on Sunday.
This will be the day’s second fixture as Getafe vs Athletic Bilbao is set to take place two hours before. The excitement ahead of the action at El Madrigal is huge, and understandably so. Villarreal vs Valencia is mostly interesting because of what the 2011/12 La Liga standings reveal.The Yellow Submarines are in a terrible situation. They picked up only three wins in 2011 and they now start the year 2012 in the relegation zone. Villarreal are precisely 18th on the table with 15 points like nineteenth-placed Sporting Gijon. Even minnows Rayo Vallecano and Granada seat above them.
Villarreal are urgently in need of a turnaround. Starting the league campaign with an emphatic 5-0 defeat to Barcelona was in fact the sign of a miserable run this season.
Will the inclusion of 'Big Names' Improve the Image of the Europa League?
The Europa League draw takes place on the 16th of December. Some unexpected but required names will be in the draw.
The Europa League was meant to be the Champions League’s sister competition. The name was changed to Europa League from the former UEFA Cup to add more prestige to the competition. This change did very little to change the way the Europa League is treated by so-called ‘big’ sides. Teams which have virtually no chance of winning the Champions League play reserve sides in Europa League matches at times.The competition needed an improvement in its image and maybe the inclusion of teams with better pedigree will do so. Schalke’s status as Champions League semi-finalists from last season definitely helps the image as does the inclusion of Premier League top duo Manchester City and Manchester United. Added to that is another former Champions League winner Porto and former Champions League finalist Valencia. Porto is the defending champion.
Europa League prepares to welcome high-profiled Man United, Man City & Porto
The 2011/12 UEFA Europa League will soon be cut down to 32 teams. Incredibly, Manchester United, Manchester City and FC Porto are sure knockout stages contenders…
Like Trabzonspor, Ajax, Valencia, Olympiacos and Viktoria Plzen, these big clubs finished third in their respective Champions League group. Now, they await their fate in the UEFA Europa League. The knockout round draw for the competition will take place on Friday. Considering the improved caliber of the teams in the Europa League, there may be no easy matchup for demoted Manchester United, Manchester City and Valencia.
However, they’ll enter the draw as seeded teams based on the number of points they achieved in the UEFA Champions League. Manchester City head the list of seeded contenders above Manchester United, Olympiacos and Valencia. FC Porto, Ajax, Trabzonspor and Viktoria Plzen complete the A to H table.
Champions League: What Day 6 means to the doomed, the safe and the unsecured
There are seven more places at stake in the UEFA Champions League. Which teams will qualify from the group stages of the competition to reach the Last 16?
The doomed teams
Group A’s Villarreal, Group C’s Otelul Galati, Group D’s Dinamo Zagreb, Group E’s Genk and Group G’s Shakhtar Donetsk will have absolutely nothing to defend but their pride on Matchday 6 of the UEFA Champions League. The dream of reaching the Round of 16 and the option of playing in the UEFA Europa League are two things which do not exist anymore for those teams.
However, their involvement in Tuesday and Wednesday’s Champions League night could torment the remaining contenders. In Group A, for example, Villarreal could favor Manchester City by spoiling Napoli’s golden chance of progressing.
Chelsea deliver “a slap in the face” to critics with 3-0 UEFA Champions League win over Valencia.
Chelsea beat Valencia 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday to seal their progress to the knockout rounds as Group C winners.
The Blues entered this game under pressure, knowing a defeat or score draw would see them eliminated from the Champions League group stages for the first time ever.Any nerves among the Stamford Bridge faithful were calmed as early as the 3rd minute when Didier Drogba side-footed past Diego Alves. Brazilian Ramires doubled the lead in the 22nd minute, before Drogba struck again in the second half to round off a comfortable 3-0 win.
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas made a bold decision in leaving out Frank Lampard, and his selection paid immediate dividends when Juan Mata set up Drogba to fire the Blues into an early lead.
Valencia will show that Chelsea are not favorites tonight – Goalie Diego Alves
English giants Chelsea will be under a lot of pressure to win tonight and Valencia are prepared to make the Blues pay for being inconsistent and inefficient this season.
Chelsea and Valencia have the same number of points and a goalless draw will put the Spanish team into the Round of 16. In a long encounter with Goal.com, Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves revealed Los Che’s view of the encounter. He was quoted as saying:“Chelsea are playing at home but for me, they aren't favorites. The chances are 50-50 and I'm prepared for the 'battle of Stamford Bridge'.
“It's normal that Chelsea will attack our area, but Valencia know how to control such situations. Chelsea have been inconsistent this season and that gives us a big chance, but the players know it will be a tough game over 90 minutes.”
Man United, Chelsea & Man City facing Champions League to Europa League demotion
Calculations reveal that Arsenal could become the sole English survivors in the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League ahead of the Last 16.
Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City are interestingly more or less in danger of exiting the continent’s top competition for the Europa League. Unlike Barcelona, Real Madrid, Internazionale or Bayern Munich, the English trio cannot afford to relax on Matchday 6.
Andre Villas-Boas’ big test
Andre Villas-Boas led Chelsea to a 3-0 defeat of Newcastle United last weekend, but this result doesn’t mean that the coach has finished proving himself in the eyes of his critics. The Portuguese man is facing a tough challenge in the form of Valencia.
Since quite a number of years now, one of the Blues’ priorities has always been to win the UEFA Champions League. Today, they are in a serious condition which they can still overturn, though. A goalless draw will be enough for them to pass onto the knockout stages of the competition.
Valencia vs Real Madrid Report
Like Barcelona, Real Madrid snatched all three points on Saturday night. Los Blancos’ victory, however, happened in more dramatic circumstances.
Karim Benzema continued his progressive form for Real Madrid with a terrific strike in the 20th minute. Diego Alves had absolutely no chance of stopping Benzema’s ball from 15 yards out. The game produced a host of entertaining moments and opportunities for both sides until Sergio Ramos doubled the tally after 72 minutes.Responding to the alert, Valencia pulled a goal back through Roberto Soldado 3 minutes later but Cristiano Ronaldo restored Madrid’s 2-0 advantage. The Portuguese winger punished Los Che’s poor goalkeeping to slot the ball home from a tight angle.
Cristiano Ronaldo confident as Valencia’s Soldado eyes Real Madrid revenge
Third-placed Valencia will test their strength at the Mestalla Stadium with a mouth-watering clash against Real Madrid on Saturday night.
In the most recent Valencia vs Real Madrid fixture, Los Che scored thrice. This achievement, however, meant all but nothing as a Gonzalo Higuain hat-trick and a Kaka double inspired Los Blancos to a 6-3 victory. Looking back at what happened that day, on April 23 precisely, Valencia striker Roberto Soldado feels bitter. The play maker, who will face the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Özil on Saturday, has revenge on his mind.
“Not all the players who were there last year are still here, but the result really hurt and we haven't forgotten about that game yet,” Soldado revealed in an interview with Marca.