Mestalla hosts an interwar duel
Barça wants to defend its ‘Champions’ position against a Valencia that wants to get closer to Europe
MADRID, 19 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
FC Barcelona visits Mestalla this Sunday (4:15 p.m./Movistar LaLiga), before the transcendental second date against Napoli, with the aim of defending its ‘Champions’ position in LaLiga Santander against a Valencia that wants to join the European train and load up on morale for the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals.
A penalty goal in the 59th minute from Ferran Torres, quite erratic during the 90 minutes, allowed Xavi Hernández’s men to rescue a draw last Thursday at the Camp Nou, and now they will have to go to San Paolo for everything if they want to stay alive in the second continental competition.
However, the great objective of the season continues to be the ticket for the next Champions League, which they could achieve if they win the title and, much more quickly, if they finish in the top four this season.
The victory against Atlético (4-2) lifted them for the first time this season to that area of privilege, but last week’s stumble in the Catalan derby, where Luuk de Jong saved the furniture for the Catalans in the last minute of the discount (2-2), raised doubts again.
Now, in a difficult field like Mestalla, the Barça team (39), without men like Ansu Fati or Memphis Depay, hopes to defend that fourth place in a match in which the Catalan coach will not be able to count on Gerard Piqué – expelled against Espanyol- which will leave the defense in the box.
The suspension of Dani Alves -who is in his second game due to his expulsion against Atleti- and the injuries to Clément Lenglet, Sergi Roberto and Samuel Umtiti hamper a defense that will have Eric Garcia as its only natural central defender. In exchange, Ronald Araujo could be back after overcoming an overload in the soleus.
“I expect a tough game, very intense, with a lot of dueling and very aggressive, because we are going to a very difficult field. We have to impose the pace, the high circulation. We will try not to have too many interruptions”, Xavi Hernández assured at a press conference.
Opposite, Valencia needs a good result to end its bad league start to the year, in which only the Copa del Rey has offset the disappointments of domestic competition. With 30 points, the ‘che’ team is nine away from the privilege zone and ten above danger.
And it is that since the beginning of 2022, José Bordalás’ men have still not managed to win in the League, where they have not won since December 20 -against Levante- and where they have accumulated two draws and three defeats -the last one last week against Deportivo Alavés (2-1)- so far this year.
On the other hand, the cup tournament fills them with morale, especially after taking a 1-1 win over San Mamés in a controversial semi-final first leg match, where they demanded a penalty from Hugo Duro that the referee did not whistle and that unleashed a cross of harsh statements between the two clubs.
“We are not going to let them trample on us in any way. What we cannot accept is that others turn the tables and that the focus is that you are the executioner when you are the victim,” Bordalás warned on the subject, which is It will be resolved on March 3 in the second leg.
Neither the Portuguese defender Thierry Correia nor the Dutch goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen will be available in a duel in which Ferran Torres will return to what was his home and in which Ilaix Moriba will be reunited with his club until last summer.
DATASHEET.
–POSSIBLE ALIGNMENTS.
VALENCIA: Mamardashvili; Foulquier, Alderete, Diakhaby, Gayà; Soler, Guillamon, Moriba, Bryan Gil; Hugo Duro and Guedes.
FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Dest, Araujo, Eric Garcia, Alba; Busquets, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri; Adama, Gavi and Ferran Torres.
–REFEREE: Del Cerro Grande (C.Madrileño).
–STADIUM: Mestalla.
–TIME: 16.15/Movistar LaLiga.