One of the standout fixtures of the opening week of the 2024-25 La Liga season will take place at Mestalla on Saturday evening, as Valencia host Barcelona in what promises to be a captivating contest.Valencia, aiming for a potential European spot in Spain’s top flight this year, will face the challenging task of halting Barcelona, who are looking to dethrone reigning champions Real Madrid in their title pursuit this season.Valencia, who have won La Liga six times with their last triumph coming in 2004, have struggled in recent years. The club has not secured a top-four finish since 2019, instead ending their last five campaigns in ninth, 13th, ninth, 16th, and ninth place.Star-studded Galacticos 2.0, Yamal-led Barca and Cholo’s rebuilt Atleti – best La Liga ever starts tonight!Under Ruben Baraja’s guidance, Valencia finished last season with 49 points from 38 matches, securing 13 wins, 10 draws, and 15 losses. That left them in ninth place, eight points behind seventh-placed Real Betis, meaning there’s much room for improvement as they head into the new campaign.Valencia has been active during pre-season, playing seven friendly matches, rounding off their preparations with a 3-2 victory over Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend.This summer, Valencia made three signings. Dani Gomez and Rafa Mir joined the club on loan from Levante and Sevilla, respectively, while goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski arrived on a free transfer from Rayo Vallecano.Importantly, Valencia has managed to retain key players from last season, including talented Spanish midfielder Javi Guerra, whose proposed move to Atletico Madrid fell through at the last minute earlier this month.𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐙𝐀 𝐋𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐀 💛❤️ pic.twitter.com/N5YsYgnKDB— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) August 17, 2024 Barcelona, meanwhile, have been relatively quiet in the transfer market, making just two new signings. Pau Victor joined permanently from Girona, and Dani Olmo returned to Camp Nou from RB Leipzig in a high-profile move.Despite ongoing frustrations in their pursuit of Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams, Barcelona still hopes to secure more signings before the transfer window closes, and further movement is anticipated at Camp Nou in the coming days.Hansi Flick has taken over as Barcelona’s head coach following Xavi’s departure, and he faces the immense pressure of launching a strong title challenge. However, Real Madrid looks formidable once again, having bolstered their squad with Endrick and Kylian Mbappe.Barcelona finished as runners-up in La Liga last season, trailing champions Real Madrid by 10 points, as Los Blancos comfortably emerged as the best team in Spain.Barcelona enters this match following a 3-0 defeat to Monaco in the Joan Gamper Trophy. However, during pre-season, they managed to beat Real Madrid and secure draws against Manchester City and AC Milan.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Valencia continues to grapple with injuries from last season, with four players confirmed to miss the game: Fran Perez, Mouctar Diakhaby, Jaume Domenech, and Jose Gaya are all sidelined due to fitness concerns.Defender Cesar Tarrega, back from a loan spell at Real Valladolid, could feature in the starting lineup, while Dimitrievski is expected to make his debut in goal, as current goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is likely to depart the club before the transfer window closes.Rafa Mir’s arrival will strengthen Valencia’s attacking options, but he is set to start on the bench, with Hugo Duro, who netted 13 league goals last season, leading the attack alongside Andre Almeida.For Barcelona, Dani Olmo has not yet been registered with La Liga, meaning he will miss out on his debut this weekend.Additionally, Ronald Araujo, Ansu Fati, Frenkie de Jong, and Gavi are all out with injuries, while Pedri remains doubtful. However, Pedri could still make the bench, as he has been included in the matchday squad.La Liga er kommet i gang, og i aften er der er tophamrende fed kamp på Mestalla. Rubén Barajas Valencia kommer blæsende mod FC Barcelona, som Hansi Flick skal bygge op. Andreas Christensen er nok 6’er i premieren. Han får travlt. Yamal er lige fyldt 17 år, men alle kigger på ham. pic.twitter.com/Y07KONWMNI— Jonas Schwartz (@JonasSchwartz75) August 17, 2024 Midfielders Pablo Torre and Marc Casado may be called upon to start, while Alejandro Balde, now fully recovered from his hamstring injury earlier in the year, is expected to slot in at left-back.Despite having recently returned to training after helping Spain win Euro 2024, young star Lamine Yamal is tipped to feature in the lineup on Saturday, with Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha likely leading the charge in Barcelona’s attack.LA LIGA – MATCHDAY 1Thursday Ath.Bilbao – Getafe 1-1 (1-0)/Sancet 27 – Uche 64/Betis – Girona 1-1 (1-0)/Bartra 6 – Misehouy 72/Friday Celta – Alaves 2-1 (0-1)/Swedberg, 66, Aspas 84 – Garcia 17/Las Palmas – Sevilla 2-2 (1-1)/Nianzou 42 og, Ramirez 71 – Suarez 25 og, Sanchez 61/Saturday 20.00: (1.85) Osasuna (3.45) Leganes (4.50)22.30: (4.90) Valencia (3.60) Barcelona (1.75)Sunday 20.00: (1.62) Sociedad (3.50) Rayo Vallecano (6.50)22.30: (6.75) Mallorca (4.00) Real Madrid (1.53)Monday 20.00: (2.40) Valladolid (3.25) Espanyol (3.30)22.30: (3.25) Villareal (3.45) Atl.Madrid (2.20)***odds are subject to change***
