Barcelona separated real in the 16 Copa del Rey round by a 5-1 score and victory could not be more comfortable than it resulted.
Tomorrow night, they face Valencia in the quarterfinals of the tournament, but this time they will not have the advantage of the house. Traveling to Valencia, they will go to the field in Mestalla in their attempt to ensure a semifinal position.
Hansi Flick’s men enter the game just outside a hard 1-0 victory over Deportivo Alaves. While the clash of the weekend was a practically mandatory game for the classification of the League, tomorrow’s game also carries the same label, although with more immediate consequences.
A defeat tomorrow, after all, will end the hopes of Barcelona in the Copa del Rey and send them crashing. A victory will not secure the trophy, but a defeat will ensure its absence.
Universal Barça brings you three points of conversation ahead of Valencia vs Barcelona.
A recent maximum
While a clash of the Copa del Rey against Valencia can never be easy, Barcelona is directed to Thursday night’s game with a renewed sense of trust and is backed by a recent result.
After all, it has been just under two weeks since the Catalans closed horns against the same opposition in the league and the night score reflected the domain of the team during the ninety minutes.
The clash in Montjuic ended in a 7-1 victory for Barcelona, his biggest margin of Victoria so far this season, and it is safe to say that the opposition was flown from his feet.
Frenkie de Jong, Fermin López, Ferran Torres, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski were all on the score of the night in a ruthless game and the Blaugrana You can only use it as impulse before the Cup game.
More than anything, it is the great collection of the result that provides them with the very necessary reinforcement of trust.
It will be critical that the costumes do not move forward, but it is safe to say that Barcelona enters the game with an inherent psychological advantage.
The dilemma of the center of the attacking field
The center of the attacking field is perhaps the department where Barcelona and Hansi Flick have the highest depth available. However, the manager has a great decision to make before the crash of the Cup against Valencia.
Dani Olmo has been the team ‘midfield’ From the beginning of the season and remains one of Flick’s options on big nights. In fact, it was he who destroyed Real Betis in the round of the last Copa del Rey, although playing as a false nine.
However, the Spanish only returns from an injury after weeks and the manager confirmed that he will not be able to start in Mestalla and only one option in the second half.
Gavi, who has taken great prominence in the department in recent weeks, the game is lost against THE CHE After his brain shock in the previous game as part of the medical protocol.
With the two first choice attackers, it remains to be seen in whom Flcick trusts in the beginning. Fermin López, Pablo Torre, Pedri and Frenkie de Jong are all the options, but the first is likely to begin.
After all, it was Fermin who was the man of the game the last time the two teams faced each other, since he accumulated two goals and so many assists at night.
The obstacle called Mestalla
Valencia may not be doing too well this season in the League, but the Mestalla has always proven to be a difficult territory to conquer for Barcelona.
At the beginning of this season, Hansi Flick’s men went out to the field in the challenging place and brought home a 2-1 victory just courtesy of a penalty of Robert Lewandowski, but the team has constantly faced a difficult time in the place .
In the last three games that Barcelona and Valencia have in Mestalla, the Catalans have scored only four goals and have won twice with a margin of a goal.
In fact, Catalans have only won once in the last three times they have played in Mestalla in the Copa del Rey, Prove that the place is discouraging to face in a knockout situation.
A victory tomorrow will take the team to the final Four in the competition and a moving distance of the trophy. However, to reach that stage, the obstacle called Mestalla must pass and it is clear that they will have to be at their best.