Valencia will be looking to make it back-to-back wins in La Liga for the first time since the end of 2019 when they travel to Cadiz on Sunday evening.
Los Che, who recorded a 2-1 win over Granada before the international break, are currently 12th in the table, while Cadiz occupy 15th position, four points behind their opponents this weekend.
Match preview
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Cadiz are bidding to make it back-to-back seasons at this level of football for the first time since the early 1990s, meaning that any position 17th or higher would be considered a successful campaign for the club.
A total of 29 points from 28 matches has left the promoted club in 15th spot, six points clear of the relegation zone, and they have certainly impressed for long spells of the season.
The Yellow Submarine have recorded standout wins over both Real Madrid and Barcelona this season, but the impressive victories will not mean anything unless they can secure their status as a top-flight club.
Cadiz picked up four points from two matches against Eibar and Alaves in the early stages of March but entered the international break off the back of a 2-1 defeat at Villarreal.
Head coach Alvaro Cervera will certainly be wary of suffering another defeat this weekend, and the fact that they have the third-worst home record in La Liga this season should hand Valencia confidence.
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As mentioned, Valencia have not managed to put together back-to-back wins in Spain's top flight since the latter stages of 2019, which is an incredible statistic considering their standing at this level of football.
Inconsistency has again been a major problem for Los Che in 2020-21, losing three and winning three of their last six matches, which has left them in 12th with 33 points from 28 matches.
Javi Gracia's side are only four points above their opponents on Sunday, while they have found it difficult on their travels this season, winning just two of their 14 top-flight matches away from Mestalla.
Valencia, who have two tough matches against Real Sociedad and Real Betis to come after this one, finished down in ninth position in La Liga last term.
Gracia's team are currently two points off ninth position and just three behind Granada in eighth, but it remains to be seen whether they are capable of putting together a run of results between now and the end of the season to secure a top-half spot.
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Team News
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Cadiz will again definitely be without the services of Luismi Quezada this weekend through injury, while Anthony Lozano is likely to remain on the sidelines due to a knee problem.
Marcos Mauro has recovered from a calf problem but could start on the bench for the home side, with Fali and Juan Cala potentially featuring as the two centre-backs.
Alvaro Negredo is expected to start as the lone forward in a 4-2-3-1 formation as Ruben Sobrino, who is on loan from Valencia, is unable to face his parent club.
As for the visitors, Jasper Cillessen remains out of action with a knee problem, while Eliaquim Mangala and Cristiano Piccini are both still recovering from injuries.
Antonio Blanco could potentially get the nod in a wide area, having found the back of the net against Granada, meaning that Manu Vallejo and Yunus Musah might again start on the bench.
Goncalo Guedes played through the middle alongside Maxi Gomez in the team's last game before the international break and that could again be the case on Sunday.
Cadiz possible starting lineup:
Ledesma; Iza, Fali, Cala, Espino; Jonsson, Mari; Perea, Fernandez, Sanchez; Negredo
Valencia possible starting lineup:
Domenech; Correia, Gabriel, Diakhaby, Gaya; Wass, Soler, Racic, Blanco; Guedes, Gomez
We say: Cadiz 1-1 Valencia
Two of Cadiz's last five league matches have finished 1-1, and we are predicting the same scoreline on Sunday. As mentioned, Valencia have found it incredibly difficult to put back-to-back wins on the board despite the strength of their squad. Both teams will feel that they can harm the other in the final third of the field, but we have ultimately settled on a low-scoring draw.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Valencia win with a probability of 39.35%. A win for Cadiz had a probability of 31.17% and a draw had a probability of 29.5%.
The most likely scoreline for a Valencia win was 0-1 with a probability of 13.52%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 0-2 (7.78%) and 1-2 (7.71%). The likeliest Cadiz win was 1-0 (11.63%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.39%). The actual scoreline of 2-1 was predicted with a 6.6% likelihood.
