Valencia will take on Barcelona on Saturday, 17 August in what will be both team's first matches of the new La Liga season.
The fixture is one of the biggest matches of the weekend considering the size of the two clubs and the fixture will take on extra importance as it marks the first time that Hansi Flick has taken charge of Barcelona in a competitive match.
Valencia recovered from a dismal 22/23 to finish back in the top half of the La Liga table last season but will be hoping to challenge for the European spots this time around.
How the bookies view it: Barcelona are backed to win
Barcelona will go into the majority of matches this season as favourites and this is the case on Saturday night. A victory for Hansi Flick's men has been priced at 8/11 with Betfred while a win for Valencia is considered a long-shot at 18/5. The draw, which would be welcomed by the home team, has been priced at 11/4.
Recent head-to-head: Barca dominance
Despite both clubs being two of the biggest in Spain, this is a fixture that has been dominated by Barcelona in recent seasons. The Catalans are unbeaten in their last eight matches against Valencia with six wins and two draws which should give them extra confidence going into the match at the Mestalla.
The last time Valencia tasted victory over Barcelona came in January 2020 when they ran out as 2-0 winners in front of their home supporters.
Players to watch: Euro superstar returns home
Lamine Yamal cemented his name as the best young player in the world over the summer thanks to his incredible performances for Spain at Euro 2024. Yamal became the youngest goalscorer in Euros history when he fired in a rocket against France in the semi-finals and also finished the tournament as the top assists maker.
Yamal did all this while being just 16 years old for the vast majority of the tournament, but despite his young age, even more big things are expected of him this season. Yamal is expected to start the match on Saturday, even in light of the news of his father being the victim of a stabbing attack in a park in Barcelona in recent days.
To combat Yamal and the other attacking talent in the Barcelona squad, Valencia will need a big performance from Stole Dimitrievski in between the sticks. The Macedonian has come in to replace Giorgi Mamardashvili, who is reportedly set to leave the club.
Predicted line-ups
Barcelona have a plethora of injuries to contend with at the minute, particularly to midfield players. Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and Gavi are all injured which means their midfield could feature some new recruits from the academy.
Valencia also have injury absentees, with Fran Perez, Jose Gaya, Mouctar Diakhaby and Jaume Domenech all ruled out.
Valencia: Dimitrievski – Correia, Mosquera, Tarrega, Ozkacar – Lopez, Gurra, Guillamon, Canos – Almeida, Duro
Barcelona: Ter Stegen – Kounde, Christensen, Cubarsi, Balde – Cadado, Gundogan, Torre – Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha
Anything else catch the eye?
Despite the attacking players at Hansi Flick's disposal on Saturday night, don't expect a high-scoring affair at the Metsalla. Only one of the last four matches between Barcelona and Valencia has covered the over 2.5 goals market. Under 2.5 goals to be scored is priced at 10/11 with Betfred.
This La Liga match between Valencia and Barcelona will be played on Aug 17, 2024 and kick off at 20:30. Check below for our tipsters best Valencia vs Barcelona prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
