Barcelona vs Valencia, La Liga: Team News, Preview, Lineups, Score Prediction

FC Barcelona (fifth, 7pts) vs Valencia CF (eleventh, 4pts)*

*Standings on the time of writing

Competitors/Spherical: 2025-26 La Liga, Matchday 4

Barcelona Outs & Doubts: Marc-André Ter Stegen, Alejandro Balde, Gavi, Lamine Yamal, Frenkie de Jong (Out)

Valencia Outs & Doubts: None

Date/Time: Sunday, September 14, 2025, 9pm CET (Barcelona), 8pm BST/WAT (UK & Nigeria), 3pm ET, 12pm PT (USA), 12.30am IST (India, Monday)

Come: Stage Johan Cruyff, Barcelona, ​​Spain

Referee: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández

Var: Daniel Jesús Trujillo

Methods to watch on TV: ESPN (USA), Premier Sports activities 1 (UK), SuperSport (Nigeria), Movistar (Spain), others

Methods to watch on-line: ESPN+ (USA), Premier Sports activities Participant (UK), FanCode (India), Movistar+ (Spain), others

Following the top of the primary worldwide break of the marketing campaign, Barcelona return to motion for his or her opening house match of the La Liga season because the defending champions welcome Valencia to the Estadi Johan Cruyff on Sunday Night time Fútbol.

Barça come into this one trying to return to profitable methods after dropping factors for the primary time of their final recreation away to Rayo Vallecano earlier than the break, which ended a disappointing first month of the season for the reigning home treble winners.

Regardless that they’d three difficult away video games and got here away with seven factors, Barça appeared very completely different compared to the staff that captivated the soccer world final season. The depth was not the identical, the devastating excessive urgent was a step slower, the protection was means too weak, and their unstoppable assault was stopped time and time once more — largely by themselves.

Hansi Flick despatched out a few sturdy warnings after the Rayo match and on Saturday’s press convention earlier than the Valencia recreation concerning the risks of complacency and never taking part in as a unit, and the way a basic lack of depth has value them factors already and will result in much more bother.

The following 21 days earlier than the subsequent worldwide break deliver seven matches in all competitions and two monster Champions League video games away to Newcastle and at house to PSG, and each La Liga recreation to any extent further is already a must-win with Xabi Alonso’s Actual Madrid but to drop factors and searching fairly stable up to now.

Barça should rediscover their finest model as quickly as attainable, and Sunday is a superb alternative to do this: Barça totally dominated Valencia final season, profitable all three matchups by a mixed rating of 14-2, together with a sensational 7-1 win at house within the league and a 5-0 destruction within the Copa del Rey within the final two video games. Valencia have been stable underneath Carlos Corberán, however the coach merely hasn’t discovered methods to cease the Flick machine but.

However Valencia might be inspired by the Blaugrana’s lower than stellar begin, and might be assured they will pull off an upset if their protection provides them an opportunity by preserving the sport shut for so long as attainable earlier than they attempt to steal a end result in a while.

The surprising absence of Lamine Yamal attributable to damage presents an enormous problem for Flick, however it’s additionally an opportunity for the likes of Marcus Rashford and Robert Lewandowski to return to the staff and show the assault can nonetheless be very harmful even with out the teenage celebrity.

Barça should begin sturdy, convert their probabilities, and use the skin noise after a subpar first month as motivation to point out they’re nonetheless the most effective groups within the continent. The group might be small however passionate, and it’s as much as the staff to offer them a motive to smile.

Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsí, Christensen, Martín; Casadó, Pedri; Raphinha, Fermín, Rashford; Lewandowski

Valencia (5-4-1): Agirrezabala; Rioja, Foulquier, Diakhaby, Tárrega, Gayà; Ramazani, Guerra, Santamaria, López; Danjuma

Valencia’s essential precedence might be to keep away from one other embarrassment, however in addition they know Barça are weak and can look to take advantage of their weaknesses. However I imagine Flick and his staff might be motivated to quiet the noise after the primary month, and can make a powerful assertion on this one: 4-1 Barça.