Barcelona welcome Valencia to the Camp Nou on Sunday for La Liga action as both teams look to move closer to the top four. Valencia have cooled off after their hot start, failing to win any of their last four, but Los Che are still in eighth place and can potentially move into the top four this weekend. Barca are in the same situation on 12 points, sitting in ninth with a game in hand.
Here’s are storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
Storylines
Barca: The clock seems to be ticking for Barca boss Ronald Koeman, and now he faces the pressure of taking on his former club in a big game for both. Failure to win this one, combined with a poor result in the Champions League this week, could possibly be the final straw. He needs the team to dig deep, find unity and perform, but he also has to do a better job of figuring out the lineup and motivating the players. He can’t afford many more slip ups, and this will be a crucial week. Let’s see how this team responds.
Valencia: So many injuries have essentially derailed a very promising start to the season, but the base of this team continues to perform. With Gabriel leading the back line, Valencia have been able to find some serious defensive stability in partnering him with Omar Alderete. The key, though, will be the speed of Goncalo Guedes against an aging, inconsistent Barca defense. He has the potential to take over any match, and he should be able to get a couple very good looks in this one. If he can convert, another win at the Camp Nou may be on the cards for Valencia.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 17 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Camp Nou — Barcelona, Spain
- Live stream/TV channel: ESPN+
- Odds: Barca -200; Draw +320; Valencia +600 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Prediction
Pedri sets up Philippe Coutinho for the opener, but Valencia earn the draw with Marcos Andre saving the day late. Pick: Barca 1, Valencia 1