La Liga Table
Valencia currently sit above everyone else with three wins out of three. Nine points, a goal difference of three with six goals scored and three conceded has been good enough to give them a narrow advantage over Real Betis, who share the same amount of points.
Barcelona have scored fifteen goals and conceded only two thus far, yet - as a result of their costly 2-2 draw away to Sociedad on September 10 - they can only afford a place in the fourth position. A win for the hosts at the Mestalla would eventually cause a huge damage to Barca’s season, knowing that arch-rivals Real Madrid could hence regain the edge in the standings - depending on their score line against Racing Santander.
Relevant Quotes
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola (press conference): “[Valencia] they are the league leaders right now and they are looking really strong. […]Playing with only three at the back at the Mestalla might be a bit risky. […]I can assure you that we will go out against them feeling very strong.”
Valencia player Sergio Canales (press conference): "[Barcelona] they are probably the team who make the fewest mistakes, but we have to look for them. […] We should not live in the fear of being disgraced. Instead we should know that we can win.”
Valencia coach Unai Emery (press conference): “The first thing that we should do is believe that we will make it. The next important thing is being able to win. […] We can do it, we believe in ourselves and this is our opportunity to shine.”
Team News
Guaita, Bruno, Ruiz, Rami, Jordi Alba, Banega, Albelda, Canales, Jonas and Pablo are all eligible to have their names in Valencia’s starting line-up. There were doubts upon Roberto Soldado’s form after the forward obtained a minor foot injury, but it presently seems he will enter the battle at the Mestalla. Should Coach Emery decide to play him upfront, then Barcelona’s defence will undeniably be at risk.
The Catalans’ Gerard Pique is said to have returned to normal training, although he has yet to be confirmed 100% fit. He may start on the bench though, whereas injured Alexis Sanchez and Andres Iniesta will only be able to watch the match as spectators - still having no chance of performing.
Interesting Facts
- Roberto Soldado and Lionel Messi are joint top scorers of La Liga with five goals each.
- Cesc Fabregas (4) and Lionel Messi (3) are the top two assist makers in La Liga, while Valencia have no player in this chart’s Top 10.
- David Villa will be making another return to the Mestalla Stadium against Valencia - the club for which he scored 108 league goals between 2005 and 2010.
