Two big clubs who have fallen on hard times of late meet at Mestalla on Friday night as the latest round of La Liga fixtures kicks off.
Valencia should be in very good spirits heading into this after they stunned Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu last weekend, with Hugo Duro sealing a famous 2-1 win in stoppage time.
Remarkably, that was their first away victory of the season in La Liga, but they’ve been very strong at home of late, winning five of their last six in the league in front of their own fans, a run that has catapulted Los Che towards safety.
Carlos Corberan’s side are now only two points behind Sevilla who have seen their European hopes fade as a result of three straight defeats. Those all came in tricky games against Athletic Club, Betis and Atletico Madrid, and this is another real test for Garcia Pimienta’s men.
How the bookies view it: Los Che to taste home success again?
Valencia are available at 11/8 to win this game with Unibet, a tempting price given their excellent current form at Mestalla. Sevilla are priced at 13/5 to leave with maximum points, while you can back the match to end all square at 21/10.
Recent head-to-head: A feisty affair in store?
Four of the last six meetings between the clubs have ended with a red card being shown, on each occasion to a player from the home team. That has contributed significantly to none of the last six clashes ending in a victory for the side playing in front of their own fans.
Players to watch: Lukebakio carrying Sevilla
While Valencia are the favourites, Sevilla have perhaps the game’s most likely goal threat in the shape of Dodi Lukebakio. The Belgian winger is averaging 2.4 shots per match in La Liga this term and his return of 11 goals accounts for a huge 32% of his team’s total.
Predicted Lineups
Valencia’s victory at the Bernabeu was all the more surprising given they were missing three players to suspension. Jose Luis Gaya and Luis Rioja should both return here, although Dimitri Foulquier may have to settle for a place on the bench.
The visitors meanwhile are missing three players due to injury, with Ruben Vargas, Akor Adams and Tanguy Nianzou unavailable. That will spark changes in attack, with Isaac Romero and Chidera Ejuke likely to be drafted back in. Saul Niguez is also pushing for a recall in midfield.
Valencia: Mamardashvili, Gaya, Diakhaby, Tarrega, Mosquera, Rioja, Guerra, Barrenechea, Almeida, D. Lopez, Sadiq.
Sevilla: Nyland, Salas, Gudelj, Bade, Carmona, Agoume, Sow, Lokonga, Ejuke, Romero, Lukebakio.
Anything else catch the eye?
Sevilla clearly have their limitations, but they have been competitive this season in virtually every match. Excluding their trips to Barcelona and Real Madrid, they’ve not been beaten by more than a single goal away from home in La Liga, so backing Valencia to win by one goal looks good at 3/1 with bet365.
There’s also reason to think Corberan’s side can win plenty of corners in this game, with their average an impressive 6.33 at home in the league this term. They are priced at 11/8 to win over 5.5 corners in this match with BoyleSports.
This La Liga match between Valencia and Sevilla will be played on and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Valencia vs Sevilla prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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