Barcelona keen to remain at table-top as Valladolid clash looms.

2024-09-15

As Barcelona aim to maintain their unblemished start to the season against Real Valladolid at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, their formidable home record and past dominance over their visitors make them the favorites, despite facing recent setbacks with injuries.

FC Barcelona

Dani Olmo scored his first goal for the club on his debut, helping the team secure a 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Tuesday. This win marked Barcelona's third consecutive victory, making them the only team with a 100% record after three matches. It's the first time since the 2018/19 season they've started the league campaign with such a streak.

However, not everything has gone smoothly for the Catalans, as an injury to Marc Bernal poses a challenge to their early success. Despite this setback, Barcelona is aiming for a fourth straight win and is favoured against Real Valladolid. Barça has been dominant in this fixture, winning 15 of the last 17 La Liga encounters against Valladolid.

In addition, the Catalans have maintained an unbeaten home league record against Valladolid since November 1997, a streak they're keen to preserve. Manager Hansi Flick is expected to stick with his 4—2—3—1 formation, with Robert Lewandowski leading the attack. Seventeen-year-old Marc Bernal, who suffered an ACL injury in the midweek clash, is set to undergo surgery.

An official statement from the club reads, ‘Tests carried out on Wednesday have shown that the player Marc Bernal has a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and an associated injury to the lateral meniscus.’

Real Valladolid

Owned by former Barcelona player Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, Valladolid haven’t enjoyed similar success to Saturday’s opponents. A goalless draw against newly promoted Leganés on Wednesday earned the visitors their first point of the season, with a record of 0 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses.

Historically, Valladolid has struggled to score against Barcelona. They’ve failed to find the net in six of their last eight encounters, although they surprisingly emerged victorious in the last meeting with a 3-1 win.

Valladolid’s scoring challenges aren't limited to their fixtures with Barcelona. The team has failed to score in their last three La Liga away matches, including a 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid in their first away game of the season.

Despite the defeat, Valladolid maintained a strong defensive performance for the first half, only conceding three goals after the break. Manager Paulo Pezzolano might stick with a 4-3-3 formation, featuring Amath Ndiaye, Mamadou Sylla, and Raúl Moro in attack.

A significant absence for Valladolid will be Diego Méndez, who is missing this encounter.