7 FC Barcelona vs 0 Real Valladolid
Barcelona keen to remain at table-top as Valladolid clash looms.
Barcelona aims to extend their perfect start to the season with a fourth consecutive win as they host Real Valladolid, hoping to continue their historical dominance in this fixture.
FC Barcelona
Dani Olmo bagged a maiden goal for the club on his debut, helping the team secure a 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Tuesday as Barca sealed three victories in a row. The Catalans are the only team with a 100% record after three matches, an impressive feat considering it’s the first time since the 2018/19 season that they’ve begun the league campaign with such a streak.
However, not all has gone well for the Catalans, with an injury blow to Marc Bernal casting a familiar shadow over their early success. Nevertheless, Barcelona will aim for a fourth straight win, and the odds are in their favour as they prepare to face Real Valladolid.
Barça has dominated this fixture in recent years, winning 15 of the last 17 La Liga encounters (15W, 0D, 2L) against Valladolid. Additionally, the Catalans have not lost a home league game against Valladolid since November 1997, a record they would like to keep in place.
Hansi Flick will likely stick to his 4-2-3-1 formation with Robert Lewandowski in attack. Seventeen-year-old Marc Bernal, who suffered an ACL injury in the midweek clash, is expected to undergo surgery. ‘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,’ an official statement from the club read.
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 left the visitors with only their first point [0W, 1D, 2L].
Historically, Valladolid has struggled to score against Barcelona, failing to do so in six of their last eight encounters, even though they surprisingly won the last meeting 3-1.
Valladolid’s goal-finding woes also extend beyond their meetings with Barcelona. They have 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.
However, that scoreline didn’t fully reflect their performance, as Valladolid kept Madrid out in the first 45 minutes before conceding three goals after the break.
Manager Paulo Pezzolano could deploy a 4-3-3 like he did against Leganés with Amath Ndiaye, Mamadou Sylla, and Raúl Moro in attack.
Diego Méndez will be the key player missing for Valladolid for this encounter.
Team form
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