Is the final still within Valencia's reach?
Following their 4-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon last week, Valencia will have to be at their very best to overturn the two-goal deficit, but while it appears to be a difficult task it is certainly doable. The two away goals Valencia grabbed in Madrid means that with a 2-0 win on Thursday they will secure passage into the final of the Europa League. Having thumped Real Betis 4-0 in La Liga on the weekend, Valencia are more than capable of finding the back of the net, something that will surely increase their chances of downing Diego Simeone's side.
In fact, Los Che have scored 12 goals in their last three home games in all competitions, and with a total of 54 goals are the third highest scoring team in La Liga, behind Real Madrid and Barcelona. But while they have the attacking strength to fire on all cylinders against Atletico, do they have what it takes to keep a clean sheet? With Atletico striker Radamel Falcao Garcia on fire this seems highly unlikely. The Colombian international opened and closed his team's emphatic victory in the first leg, and will be looking to repeat the feat at the Mestalla.
Can Valencia neutralize Falcao?
If Valencia plan to advance to the final, first they must find a solution to deal with the Colombian. Last week he caused all kinds of problems for the Valencia defense, with his clever footwork and aerial strength, and there's no question that he will pose a threat once again. While Falcao can often be extremely difficult to mark for even the most experienced of defenders, what Valencia will have to do is make sure that he isn't provided with adequate service from the midfield, meaning that his usual providers Diego, Adrian and Arda Turan should be stopped before they deliver the ball to him. Falcao is expected to have much less room to move in than in the first leg, and if Valencia manage to neutralize him they would have already got half of the job done.
How should Valencia go about winning the game?
Valencia enter the contest knowing that they must score at least twice and concede no goals (or score three goals and concede only one) to go through. This may seem a pretty straightforward task, considering that they have scored twelve goals in their last three home games, but it is almost impossible to predict how the game will span out. If Valencia do take a two-goal lead, which is possible, they should learn from the mistakes committed by both Barcelona and Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals. Rather than looking for an immediate third goal, perhaps they should try to sit back on their result (and their two away goals), before looking to pounce on swift and possibly deadly counterattacks. Will Unai Emery opt for this kind of approach?
Is Roberto Soldado worthy of sending Valencia to the final?
Soldado may have struggled to find his feet at the Vicente Calderon last week, but had entered the game not at full-fitness, after having missed Valencia's previous two games. But since then the striker has shown signs of his all-time best, as was the case on the weekend when he scored one of Valencia's four goals against Betis. Soldado, who has great chances of being included in Spain's Euro 2012 squad, will be the key to his team's success on Thursday. If he manages to produce his best soccer, it would surely boost Valencia's possibilities of triumphing.
The Final Verdict...
Despite coming into the game down, Valencia have everything to play for against Atletico and will rate their chances of advancing to the final. They are expected to pile heavy pressure on Atletico from the very first minute, and while they have the right players to find the back of the net they must be wary of being hit on the counterattack at all moments (Simeone has molded together a fast and highly-aggressive unit). The clash promises to be a hotly-disputed affair, because nothing less than a spot in the final of a European competition is at stake. What increases Valencia's chances of progressing is the fact that they scored two away goals, but unfortunately, Los Che will likely fall short.
