Valencia will be aiming to make it four straight wins in all competitions when they resume their La Liga campaign away to a struggling Cadiz outfit on Sunday afternoon.
Los Che currently sit ninth in the table, boasting 26 points from their opening 19 matches of the season, while Cadiz are down in 18th, with a tough campaign to date seeing them collect just 15 points.
Match preview
© Reuters
Cadiz are in their fourth straight campaign at this level of football, which is their best run since the early 1990s, but they are, at the moment at least, locked in a fierce battle for La Liga survival.
El Submarino Amarillo have won two, drawn nine and lost eight of their 19 league matches this season to collect 15 points, which has left them in 18th position in the table, one point behind 17th-placed Celta Vigo.
Cadiz are only actually three points from 14th-placed Mallorca, so one or two positive results in quick succession could see them catapult up the division, but they suffered a damaging 2-0 loss to 19th-placed Granada in their last match on January 3 and have not won in the league since the start of September.
Goals have been a big problem for Sergio Gonzalez's side this season, finding the back of the net on just 14 occasions in 19 matches, which is the worst record in La Liga this term.
Cadiz have already lost to Valencia this season, with Los Che winning the reverse match at Mestalla 2-0 back in October, but the hosts recorded a 2-1 victory in the corresponding clash last term.
© Reuters
Valencia desperately underachieved last season, finishing 16th in Spain's top flight, which proved to be their worst final placing in La Liga since being relegated at the end of the 1985-86 campaign.
Consistency has again been a problem this term, but there have been plenty of positives, and Ruben Baraja's side will enter this match off the back of three straight wins in all competitions.
Valencia secured their spot in the last-16 stage of the Copa del Rey courtesy of a 2-1 success over Cartagena on Sunday, while they have picked up seven points from their last three league matches.
Indeed, Los Che secured a welcome point at home to the champions Barcelona on December 16, before recording a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano and 3-1 success over Villarreal either side of the winter break.
Baraja's team have moved into ninth position in the table due to their recent form, boasting 26 points from 19 matches, and they currently sit just two points behind seventh-placed Real Betis.
Team News
© Reuters
Cadiz will again definitely be missing Roger Marti this weekend due to an ankle problem, while Brian Ocampo, Jose Mari and Gonzalo Escalante remain major doubts.
The home side will also be unable to call upon Ruben Sobrino, with the attacker suspended due to the red card that he was handed in the 54th minute of the 2-0 loss to Granada last time out.
There will be changes from the side that started the last game, with Sergi Guardiola, Robert Navarro and Rominigue Kouame all in line for positions in the first XI this weekend.
As for Valencia, Thierry Correia and Andre Almeida remain on the sidelines through injury, while Pepelu and Hugo Gonzalez are major doubts due to fitness problems.
Los Che will be missing two more players due to the Africa Cup of Nations, with Selim Amallah and Mouctar Diakhaby set to represent Morocco and Guinea respectively at the competition.
Should Pepelu, who scored twice against Villarreal in the league last time out, fail to prove his fitness, then Javi Guerra is likely to feature alongside Hugo Guillamon in central midfield, while the likes of Sergi Canos, Hugo Duro and Jose Gaya will be back in the side following the Copa del Rey clash with Cartagena.
Cadiz possible starting lineup:
Ledesma; Carcelen, L Hernandez, Fali, Pires; Navarro, Kouame, Alcaraz, Machis; Ramos, Guardiola
Valencia possible starting lineup:
Mamardashvili; Foulquier, Mosquera, Paulista, Gaya; Perez, Guillamon, Guerra, Canos; Duro, Yaremchuk
We say: Cadiz 1-2 Valencia
Valencia have the winning habit at the moment, and the visitors will fancy their chances of putting another victory on the board this weekend. Cadiz are certainly better than what they have shown this season, but we are finding it difficult to back them to avoid defeat in this contest.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Matt Law
