La Liga: The Miracle Workers of Camp Nou Return!

Barcelona vs Valencia

After overturning a two-goal deficit against Sevilla to reach the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, Barcelona return to La Liga action—again at Camp Nou, this time versus a rising Valencia team.

All eyes will be on the Catalans following their heroic display against the Sevillistas in La Copa. Reversing a 2-0 first-leg advantage is one thing, but turning things around the way Barca did is on a whole different level.

Barcelona are showing a real intention of winning it all this year, and if they can replicate their latest performance, then fans are surely in for another footballing treat.

Talking Points

Barca, deadlier and more confident?

There are plenty of positives to take from Barcelona’s 6-1 reversal against Sevilla in the Copa del Rey.

Philippe Coutinho, Ivan Rakitic, Sergi Roberto, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi all scored to help Barcelona win and secure a ticket to the semis after their two-to-nothing embarrassment last week.

While that display showed that Barcelona have the poise and composure of champions, it also proved that they are not going to throw away any competition—particularly the smaller ones—despite the hectic schedule.

Furthermore, the victory provided a glimpse of what the Catalans can do when they are at their best. One particular standout is Coutinho who rose to the occasion after his struggles since arriving in Spain to join the club.

Following his record transfer to Barcelona, Coutinho had very little chance to showcase what he can do and was overshadowed by the greatness in front of him—in the form of the evergreen Messi.

The Brazilian playmaker, however, scored twice for Barca in the win, including the first goal from the spot after Messi gave him the responsibility.

Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde said after the match that he hopes Coutinho’s success will give him more confidence. And if that performance indeed lit a fire inside the 26-year-old, Barcelona will undoubtedly transform into a different beast.

Philippe Coutinho impressed SBOBET fans after helping Barcelona win vs Sevilla — Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho in action for Copa Del Rey

The Catalans continue to roll with eight straight wins in La Liga, and they are expected to make that nine on the bounce.

Valencia looking like trouble

Of course, keeping their winning streak won’t be that easy for Barcelona. Not with Valencia playing them anyway.

After their poor start to the campaign that saw them win just once in their first 11 games, Los Che have since clawed their way back to the top half of the table.

Marcelino’s charges have produced some solid La Liga 2019 results, winning their last two showdowns with Celta Vigo and Villarreal. Overall, they have won four of their last five in all competitions, only losing to Getafe in the first leg of their La Copa encounter.

Valencia are dreaming of a top-four finish in the top flight once again, and that doesn’t seem far-fetched now. They are the second-best defensive team with just 18 conceded—a better tally than Barcelona’s and only a little bit behind Atletico Madrid’s record.

The issue for Valencia is where the scoring will come from, with the likes of Daniel Parejo, Santi Mina, and Rodrigo Moreno sharing the attacking duties and accounting for a total of 11 markers.

For what it’s worth, Messi has 19 league goals while his Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez has 15.

History

Barcelona haven’t lost versus Valencia since 2016, winning five times and playing out a draw in the other two.

Interestingly, Valencia held Barca to a 1-1 stalemate in their first meeting this 2018-19 campaign. Ezequiel Garay put the Mestalla residents ahead within just two minutes during that game, but the Catalans battled back and equalised on 23 minutes through Messi.

Los Che last won at Camp Nou in April 2016 (that was also the last time Barca lost to them). A Rakitic own goal and Mina first-half strike put the visitors ahead back then, and Barcelona were not able to recover despite a 63rd-minute goal from Messi.

Betting Tip

	Barcelona vs Valencia	Total Goal 2-3 @ 2.33
	February 03, 01:30 (GMT+8)

The La Liga 2019 odds at SBOBET are stacked against Valencia, though that’s not surprising considering Barcelona’s recent performances.

It’s hard to bet against the reigning La Liga champions, as they can explode offensively anytime, meaning that they can overcome a massive handicap in Asian Handicap Betting.

Valencia are a solid defensive team, so I think they won’t concede as many goals as Sevilla did recently. However, I’m not sure if the home outfit can threaten offensively—or if they will compete to win or merely play to get one point.

With that said, I predict a Barcelona win with two to three goals between them.