FC Barcelona and Valencia will face each other in the first match of the league in a duel at Mestalla that promises to be exciting. The Catalans, who have many injured players, will try to get the three points in the first official match of the Flick era.
Valencia, for their part, will be looking to further improve their performance from last season, when they were able to settle in the middle of the table despite having one of the youngest squads in the championship.
Therefore, we are going to see a summary of the 5 most probable predictions for this match:
Despite the numerous absences for this match, Flick’s men arrive at Mestalla as favourites. Key players such as Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Pedri and Ronald Araújo will not be available, which leaves the Barça squad weakened. However, the team has a competitive DNA that usually emerges at key moments.
Furthermore, although the team is coming off a painful 3-0 defeat against Monaco at the Joan Gamper, the pre-season has started with good feelings, which could give the team enough confidence to go out and win. Valencia has not had a remarkable pre-season, which tips the balance in favour of the Blaugranas.
Polish striker Robert Lewandowski remains one of Barcelona’s biggest offensive threats. Although the team won’t be in top form, the goalscorer always finds ways to impact the scoreline. Lewandowski will be the leader of the attack, and with Valencia’s defence showing weaknesses during pre-season, the striker is very likely to take advantage of the opportunities that come his way.
Furthermore, Lewandowski’s ability to convert any chance into a goal will be crucial in a match where the Catalans could struggle to dominate due to significant absences in midfield.
One of the surprises of this match could be the absence of Giorgi Mamardashvili, Valencia’s regular starting goalkeeper last season. According to recent reports, it is very likely that it will be Stole Dimitrievski who will take his place in goal for this opening match. Dimitrievski, who was signed this summer, has already shown good qualities during pre-season, and the Valencia coach could opt to give him minutes from the start of the season.
This decision could be crucial, as Valencia will need a solid performance in goal to stop players like Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal.
Despite the expectations generated by this first duel, a high scoreline is not expected. The numerous absences at FC Barcelona and Valencia’s lack of training after an irregular pre-season could translate into a match with few clear chances and a tight result.
The match is likely to be decided by the narrowest of margins, with both teams still finding their rhythm and balance at the start of the campaign. A 0-1 or 0-2 in favour of Barcelona is a plausible prediction, with the visitors taking advantage of their individual quality despite the circumstances.
Valencia have had offensive difficulties during pre-season, and this could continue in their match against Barcelona. Despite the defensive fragility that the Catalans could show due to the absence of Araújo and other key players, Valencia have not shown the ability to break down the opposition’s lines with force.
Defeats against teams such as Levante and Castellón have highlighted the offensive problems of the Mestalla team, which could suffer again against a Barça defence that, although patched up, has experience in containing rival attacks.
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