Arguably the pick of the matches in the opening game week of the 2024-25 La Liga campaign will take place at Mestalla on Saturday night, with Valencia welcoming Barcelona.
Valencia will be bidding to push for a possible European finish in Spain's top flight this season, while Barcelona have the incredibly difficult task of challenging reigning champions Real Madrid for the title in the new campaign.
Match preview
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Valencia are six-time La Liga champions, with their last success coming in 2004, but they have found it difficult in recent years. Indeed, not since 2019 have Los Che claimed a top-four spot, finishing ninth, 13th, ninth, 16th and ninth in their last five seasons.
Ruben Baraja's side boasted a record of 13 wins, 10 draws and 15 defeats from their 38 league matches last term to collect 49 points, which left them in ninth spot, eight points behind seventh-placed Real Betis, so there is work to be done in the new season.
Valencia were busy over the summer in terms of friendlies, playing seven times in total, with their preparations for the new campaign concluding with a 3-2 success over Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend.
Los Che have made three signings this summer, with Dani Gomez and Rafa Mir arriving on loan from Levante and Sevilla respectively, while Stole Dimitrievski has joined the club on a free transfer from Rayo Vallecano.
Valencia have managed to keep hold of their key players from last season, though, including Spanish midfielder Javi Guerra, who saw a proposed move to Atletico Madrid break down at the final moment earlier this month.
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Barcelona, meanwhile, have only made two new signings this summer, with Pau Victor arriving on a permanent basis from Girona, before the Catalan outfit confirmed a deal for Dani Olmo, with the Spain star returning to Camp Nou from RB Leipzig.
The La Liga giants have thus far been frustrated in their pursuit of Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams, but the club have still not given up on a move, and there is expected to be a lot of movement at Camp Nou in the closing stages of the transfer window.
Barcelona are now under the management of Hansi Flick, who has replaced Xavi at the helm, and there will be pressure on the German to lead a title charge this season, but Real Madrid look incredibly strong once again, adding Endrick and Kylian Mbappe to a star-studded squad.
Blaugrana ended last season in second spot in La Liga, 10 points behind the champions Real Madrid, who proved to be comfortably the best side in Spain's top flight last term.
Barcelona will enter this match off the back of a 3-0 defeat to Monaco in the Joan Gamper Trophy, but they did manage to beat Real Madrid during their preparations for the new campaign, in addition to drawing with both Manchester City and AC Milan.
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Team News
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Valencia are still dealing with injury problems from last season, and there will be four definite absentees for the home side in this match, with Fran Perez, Mouctar Diakhaby, Jaume Domenech and Jose Gaya all on the sidelines with fitness issues.
Cesar Tarrega could start in the middle of the defence after returning to Mestalla following a loan spell at Real Valladolid, while Dimitrievski is expected to debut between the sticks, as goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is set to leave the club before the end of the transfer window.
Mir has arrived to boost Valencia's forward options for the new campaign, but he is expected to start on the bench against Barcelona, with Hugo Duro, who scored 13 league goals last term, leading the line with support from Andre Almeida.
As for Barcelona, Olmo is yet to be registered with La Liga, so the Spain international will miss out on the chance to make his debut for the club this weekend.
Ronald Araujo, Ansu Fati, Frenkie de Jong and Gavi are definitely out through injury, while Pedri remains a doubt, but there is a slight chance that he could be on the bench, having been included in the squad.
As a result, there could be starts in midfield for Pablo Torre and Marc Casado, while Alejandro Balde is in line to play at left-back, having fully recovered from the serious hamstring injury that he suffered earlier this year.
Lamine Yamal has only just returned to Barcelona training after helping Spain win Euro 2024, but the teenager is expected to be in the side on Saturday, while Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha should also feature in the final third of the field.
Valencia possible starting lineup:
Dimitrievski; Correia, Mosquera, Tarrega, Ozkacar; Lopez, Guillamon, Guerra, Canos; Almeida; Duro
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Ter Stegen; Kounde, Christensen, Cubarsi, Balde; Gundogan, Casado, Torre; Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha
We say: Valencia 1-2 Barcelona
Barcelona have won six of their last seven league games against Valencia, and we are expecting another narrow success for the Catalan outfit this weekend.
Valencia held Barcelona to a 1-1 draw at Mestalla last term, and Flick's side will be missing some key players for this match, but we are backing the visitors to navigate their way to all three points in their first game of the new campaign.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
