Barcelona vs Valencia Final Football Score 05 March 2023

Barcelona VS Valencia Final Football Score 05 March 2023

Barça showed a side of them that’s been missing for so long and has really become the identity of Xavi Hernández’s team over the last year: they might not play well, but they’ll fight for every inch and not give up. That’s an important attitude to have during a tough stretch of results and injuries, and it’ll ultimately help Barça in the future as the squad becomes healthier, stronger and more talented. The victory in Madrid restored the confidence and allows the team to go into three massive games in the league with less pressure and anxiety. The next two weeks will go a long way in deciding the title for the Blaugrana, who face Valencia on Sunday.

Then travel to San Mamés to meet Athletic Bilbao and return home for a gigantic El Clásico in the final match before the international break. Maintaing their seven-point lead at the top of the table before they have a chance to increase that gap in a head-to-head matchup with their biggest rivals in the main priority in the next two matches, and they can’t afford to make any mistakes especially with a much smaller margin for error due to the injuries to their best players. Pedri, Robert Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembélé and the suspended Gavi are missing this one, but the good news is Barça are facing a Valencia side that is in the relegation zone and missing six starters due to injury, including their best player in left-back José Gayà and their best striker in Edinson Cavani.

They lost five in a row in the league before an ugly win over Real Sociedad last week, and come to Camp Nou simply trying to survive and perform a miracle without their best players. This isn’t the Valencia of previous years, and big clubs in relegation battles are under even more pressure than teams that are used to the bottom every season. Barça are big favorites even with four crucial starters missing, and they must return to winning ways in the league and put pressure on Real Madrid to not drop any points on their tough trip to Real Betis. It’s a must-win and must-perform, and Barça have to be serious and professional from the very start. Barcelona will be bidding to return to winning ways in La Liga when they welcome relegation-threatened Valencia to Camp Nou on Sunday afternoon.

The Catalan giants suffered a 1-0 defeat at Almeria in the league last weekend, but they remain top of the table, seven points clear of second-placed Real Madrid, while Valencia have had a disastrous campaign thus far, currently sitting 18th in the table on 23 points heading into the next set of fixtures.Barcelona were knocked out of the Europa League by Manchester United on February 23 courtesy of a 2-1 loss at Old Trafford, and they were unable to bounce back in La Liga, suffering a 1-0 defeat at Almeria in the league last weekend.Xavi’s side therefore missed the chance to move 10 points clear at the summit last weekend, but they still have a seven-point advantage over second-placed Real Madrid with 15 games left to play in Spain’s top flight.

Barcelona returned to winning ways on Thursday evening, meanwhile, recording a 1-0 victory away to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final, with an own goal from Eder Militao proving to be the difference between the two teams on the night. The Catalan outfit now have four straight league games against Valencia, Athletic Bilbao, Real Madrid and Elche before welcoming Real Madrid for the second leg of their semi-final in the Copa del Rey. Barcelona have the best home record in La Liga this season, picking up 29 points from 11 matches, and they will be welcoming a Valencia outfit that have collected just six points on their travels in 2022-23.

Blaugrana have won each of their last four league games against Valencia, meanwhile, and they have not lost to Los Che at Camp Nou in Spain’s top flight since April 2016.Valencia have not played outside of La Liga since the 1986-87 season, but they are currently locked in a battle to remain in the division, currently sitting down in 18th spot in the table. Los Che have won six, drawn five and lost 12 of their 23 league games to collect 23 points, which is just one more than Getafe in 19th, but they are only one point from the safety of 17th position. It would be one of the biggest shocks in La Liga history if Valencia were relegated this season, but it has been a hugely difficult campaign for the club, who finished fourth as recently as 2019.

Ruben Baraja’s side will enter this match off the back of a positive result, though, having recorded a 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad on February 25. An own goal from Igor Zubeldia proved to be the difference between the two sides, and it is certainly a result that the six-time Spanish champions can build on at this stage of the campaign. Los Che have only scored eight times on their travels in the league this season, which is an indication of their troubles, while they have lost each of their last five La Liga fixtures away from Mestalla.Barcelona will again be missing Ousmane Dembele, Pedri and Robert Lewandowski for this weekend’s contest, with all three on the sidelines with hamstring problems.

Gavi is suspended due to the yellow card that he picked up against Almeria last weekend, meanwhile, so the Catalan outfit will be missing four key players for the match. Andreas Christensen was an unused substitute against Real Madrid due to a minor ankle issue, but he is expected to come back into the XI for this match, while Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres might feature in the front three due to the absences of Gavi, Dembele and Lewandowski. As for Valencia, Gabriel Paulista, Marcos de Sousa, Jose Gaya, Edinson Cavani, Nico Gonzalez and Jaume Domenech will miss the contest through injury. Paulista picked up a leg problem against Real Sociedad last time out, which is likely to lead to Eray Comert coming into the middle of the defence.

Hugo Duro and Samuel Lino could be joined by Samu Castillejo in the final third of the field, while Hugo Guillamon is likely to feature in central midfield on Sunday afternoon. Eder Militao’s own goal gave Xavi’s side victory and kept them on course for a domestic treble having already won the Supercopa de Espana in January.Barça are seven points clear at the top of Spain’s top flight and 36 ahead of next challengers Valencia. The club is in disarray and a shadow of the side that won La Liga and reached consecutive Champions League finals in the 2000s.Manager Xavi will not be on the sidelines as he is suspended following a booking for touchline protestations in the loss at Almeria.

Assistants Oscar Hernandez and Sergio Alegre will take charge at the weekend.Midfielder Gavi will also not be available due to an accumulation of yellow cards. Robert Lewandowski missed the Clasico defeat with a hamstring strain and likely won’t be available on Sunday. That could see Ferran Torres played in a central role again while Ansu Fati could play out wide.Valencia managed to break a run of six consecutive defeats – five coming in La Liga – in their most recent outing when they beat Real Sociedad 1-0.