Barcelona head to the Estadio Mestalla on Saturday night to face Valencia in La Liga, as Xavi Hernandez’s men aim to bounce back from their Champions League disappointment in midweek.
The Catalans had their exit from the tournament confirmed on Wednesday before losing 3-0 to Bayern Munich, and they will have to pick themselves back up quickly ahead of a challenging domestic clash this weekend.
Los Che’s five-match unbeaten run ended last Saturday with a 2-1 home defeat by Mallorca.
Real Madrid is the only side that has defeated the Catalans away from Camp Nou in La Liga in the last 12 months.
Barca has only conceded in two of the 11 La Liga matches they have played so far this season, but there is every reason to think that Saturday’s clash will see their defense breached once more.
Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, and Sergi Roberto remain sidelined for the Catalans. After the emotional blow of their European exit, it will be difficult for the side to come out of the blocks quickly at Mestalla.
Valencia, for their part, has been vital in the opening halves of matches before falling away later on, and backing the hosts to make a strong start in front of a packed, noisy crowd should appeal.
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