Valencia CF vs FC Barcelona Match Preview

Valencia CF vs FC Barcelona Match Preview

Stadium: Mestalla

Date: 01.09.2013; 21:00 CET

3rd matchday, La Liga

Coaches: Miroslav Djukic and Gerardo Martino

Valencia CF

Valencia CF are coming to this match after a miserable 3-1 loss to RCD Espanyol in which the team played terrible and deservedly lost the match by three goals to one, with a forgetful and miserable performance of a low tier relegation fighting team.

The match against FC Barcelona will be the chance for the players to overcome the last match and prove that they are capable of challenging Barcelona and that they are better than was they shown last match, but realistically I personally doubt they can really do much against Barcelona.

Atletico Madrid proved that FC Barcelona are vulnerable and can be beaten, but their organization and defending was impeccable and much of it is how good Atletico Madrid played, rather than Barcelona being weak or anything like that. So for Valencia CF to have a close game all of the players would have to step up their game significantly and team play has to be impeccable. 

Latest news from the Valencia CF camp are that Jonathan Viera our best preseason player has been loaned out to Rayo Vallecano in what is absurdly strange decision. I mean the team is getting weaker and weaker by the minute, we barely have any real wingers, our two matches this season we barely scored 2 goals with just huge luck and our wing play has been virtually nonexistent. So to sell Viera at this point in time and with a squad so low on wingers is really questionable, especially since Viera was one of the best preseason players.

This match will show us a lot though, it will show us the tactics, the team play, the ability, the desire, the work, etc... of whether the overall staff in Valencia CF know what they are doing or they are absolutely clueless. If we lose significantly against Barcelona at home in the Mestalla, then the team will likely have no chance for Champions League football and I would even be surprised if it reaches European League positions.

Valencia CF squad:

Technical Details Valencia CF (probable setups):

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Line-up: Alves; Joao, Rami, R. Costa, Bernat; Fuego, Parejo, Feghouli; Banega, Guardado; Postiga.

Tactics: Medium defensive line, own half pressure, low frequency wing attacks, low short passing, high pressure

FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona are coming to this match after a hard fought victory against Atletico Madrid in which they won the Spanish Super cop, in which they barely secured the win on away goals. No matter the way they won the team will be pleased with their achievement and they are starting the season with a big win and a trophy under their wings. This is most likely going to give them increased confidence and renewed desire for more silverware.

FC Barcelona are kind of low on defenders, especially in the center so they are relying on most of them staying fit and not getting injured, which could be problematic, but this early in the season it won't have any effect on the match against Barcelona, though I'd think what would have an effect is fatigue on some of their midfielders like Xavi who isn't getting any younger and can't play 80+ matches per season. 

As far as Barcelona's attack they are actually quite staked there with Neymar arriving for a 60 million fee and having rather good success in the matches he's played, then they obviously have the old and reliable Pedro, Alexis is there are willing to prove himself, then they have the youthful duo of Tello and Cuenca and of course Lionel Messi. 

For me I'm expecting a close race for first position this season between Real Madrid and Barcelona, but I don't expect either of them to reach the 90+ points mark set by the last couple of seasons and I think overall they are going to have harder time winning, but I'm still expecting towards the end to be a two horse race with Real and Barca close on points and likely to keep overtaking each other.

FC Barcelona squad:

Technical Details FC Barcelona (probable setups):

Formation: 4-3-3

Line-up: Valdes; Alves, Mascherano, Pique, Alba; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta; Fabregas, Messi, Pedro.

Tactics: High defensive line, all round pressure, keep possession, mostly short circular passing, doubling up on the wings.

Result prediction

Valencia CF 0-3 FC Barcelona

I expect Barcelona to come in with their renewed confidence and morals by the latest cup win and from the first minute start dominating the match and having good number of chances. I expect Valencia CF to defend up to a certain point, but the attacks and pressure would be too much and once a goal goes in I can see Barcelona easily scoring 3 goals. 

Official: Jonathan Viera loaned to Rayo Vallecano

Well, that was unexpected. Three days from the closing of the transfer window and two days before an important encounter against Barcelona, and a talented player is given away. I never imagined the player would want to leave and I didn't think the club would let him leave.

The player apparently seeks more playing time and thus switched clubs in the last few days. Rayo Vallecano has been interested in him for a while and took their chance. The deal is a one-year loan with no purchase option (thank goodness) for an undisclosed fee. Rayo Vallecano will take care of the player's wages for the year. I wish him all the best and hope this move will serve only to make him a better player.




Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!

Europa League Draw

With Valencia just falling short of the UEFA Champions League by finished in fifth, they will play the Europa Leauge. Today the draw took place and Valencia was placed into Group A along with Swansea City (England),  FC Kuban Krasnodar (Russia), and FC St Gallen (Switzerland). The other three teams with Valencia are all making their debut in this competition, while Valencia has played in it many times (25 counting all the previous version of this competition). While Swansea is the only challenging relative to the rest of the group, the others should not be underestimated to avoid a repeat of the Espanyol game. The match dates will be updated in the Fixtures & Results section soon. Here are the groups:

Group A: Valencia CF (ESP), Swansea City AFC (ENG), FC Kuban Krasnodar (RUS), FC St Gallen (SUI)

Group B: PSV Eindhoven (NED), GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO), FC Chornomorets Odesa (UKR), PFC Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL)

Group C: R. Standard de Liège (BEL), FC Salzburg (AUT), IF Elfsborg (SWE), Esbjerg fB (DEN)

Group D: FC Rubin Kazan (RUS), Wigan Athletic FC (ENG), NK Maribor (SVN), SV Zulte Waregem (BEL)

Group E: ACF Fiorentina (ITA), FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (UKR), FC Paços de Ferreira (POR), CS Pandurii Târgu Jiu (ROU)

Group F: FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA), APOEL FC (CYP), Eintracht Frankfurt (GER), Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR)

Group G: FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR), KRC Genk (BEL), SK Rapid Wien (AUT), FC Thun (SUI)

Group H: Sevilla FC (ESP), SC Freiburg (GER), Estoril Praia (POR), FC Slovan Liberec (CZE)

Group I: Olympique Lyonnais (FRA), Real Betis Balompié (ESP), Vitória SC (POR), HNK Rijeka (CRO)

Group J: SS Lazio (ITA), Trabzonspor AŞ (TUR), Legia Warszawa (POL), Apollon Limassol FC (CYP)

Group K: Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG), FC Anji Makhachkala (RUS), FC Sheriff (MDA), Tromsø IL (NOR)

Group L: AZ Alkmaar (NED), PAOK FC (GRE), Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR), FC Shakhter Karagandy (KAZ)

Feel free to let us know what you think :)

AMUNT VALENCIA!!!

Djukic tinkers with lineup

After the horror at Cornella against Espanyol and Djukic blasting the team's performance at the press conference, the club's attention turns on facing Barcelona at the Mestalla. With Banega and Fede doubtful to make the lineup due to injury and after the mess against Espanyol, Djukic is considering, and experimenting with, some changes. While Djukic expressed that he wouldn't alternate keepers, it is likely now that Guaita will feature against Barcelona. In addition, Djukic tested out Guardado as left-back, Canales as playmaker instead of Banega, and Jonas on the left wing. Pabon also had a chance to train with the squad and expressed that he is ready to play against Barca if Djukic deemed it the right choice. Some say that Djukic is considering using him on the right wing instead of Feghouli, a good way to utilize the space left by the Barcelona full-backs when they attack. The lineup experimented with was thus : Guaita, Guardado, Costa, Rami, Pereira, Parejo, Fuego, Canales, Jonas, Feghouli / Pabon, Postiga. However, a lineup alone is not enough to win as we've seen against Espanyol. While it's true to say that everything went wrong in that match, it is more helpful to narrow it down to a few specifics. Here are the main ones in my opinion:

1. We saw a bunch of players out there but we didn't see a team: While this cannot be fixed overnight, we have seen good teamwork in the preseason, it just has to be revived. There were no link-ups, on the wings, the center, or anywhere on the field besides the play that lead to the goal. This selfishness only served in loss of possession to Espanyol. On the other hand, Espanyol kept it together as a team.

2. Simple was made complicated / over-confidence: This is somewhat connected with the above point. Players were taking on more than they could by themselves. We saw players trying to dribble past too many players and fail or attempt to shoot from further than they could see. The team therefore easily lost focus and couldn't defend or attack properly. The simple play worked so well against Inter, Everton and Olympiacos.

3. Plan figured out: The game plan this game consisted of giving the ball to Banega. Although he is an important player, he cannot do anything by himself. The opposing teams have figured this out and shut him down quickly. He needs to have a creative partner to link-up with like Viera/Canales/Jonas.

I think those three are the most important but you could probably have a few others up there, maybe more wing play - wingers  were useless that game. Anyway, hopefully this is just a one time thing and we shouldn't worry about it. However, Barcelona are a huge step up from Espanyol and a drastic improvement is needed. I am actually optimistic about the game. Djukic managed a 1-3 at home and a 2-1 loss away against Barca while he was with Valladolid so hopefully he can do better with Valencia. I am also excited to say Canales and Pabon play.

Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!

Premier League Teams Battle for Banega

As the transfer market deadline (extended to September 2nd) inches closer, many clubs are pressured to make last minute shopping. One of these clubs is EPL giant Manchester United who have yet to add the midfielder they have been looking for all summer. After a move for Everton's Felliaini was dismissed by Everton, they turn their attention to Spain where they are looking Ozil, Fabregas and Banega. The first two said that they were staying so only Banega is left. The other club fighting for Banega is the very same one that took star player Roberto Soldado from Valencia earlier this transfer window, Tottenham Hotspur. With a world record amount of cash coming in from the soon-to-be-announced sale of star player Bale (about 100 million euros), Tottenham will be looking to splash some cash quickly before the deadline to replace Bale and reinforce other areas. Banega seems to fit into their plans due to his previous link-up with Soldado while he was at Valencia. Both clubs seem to willing to pay Banega's release clause of 30 million euros.





Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!

Dorlan Pabon arrived in Valencia

Dorlan Pabon has officially arrived in Valencia and will start training with the team, with a small possibility that he will be in the squad for the match against Barcelona.

At this point any help would be welcomed and hopefully Pabon will be the answer to many of our problems, as he is known for scoring long range goals and creating chances for himself.

Apart from that I hope Fede finds his place in the first team and playing instead of Feghouli, I think Fede is way more talented than Feghouli and given enough matches to settle he can become one of the best wingers in the world, the likes of Ribery, Robben.

Also there is a big sort of pause between matches right now, so I was wondering what would you like to read in that time, and would you like us to have a podcast. I mean it can be the writers for the blog, it can be featuring you the readers and fans of Valencia, it can also feature other guys from other sites from other clubs like Barcelona, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, you name it.

I feel like once a week podcast would be beneficial, something that can be interesting, so please share your thought in the comments about it.

RCD Espanyol 3-1 Valencia CF Match Report

Second match of the season and an unbelievable loss for Valencia CF in which absolutely nothing seemed right. I mean I don't even know how to approach this match report, since there was no chances for Valencia CF all match long, apart from the goal I believe only Feghouli had a shot at goal and maybe two long range efforts that weren't even shots, they were so off target and on the other hand I don't know what the tactics were since it was one big mess with no wing play, no central play, with barely few passes tying up together.

All in all it was a terrible match with no one playing good. The best player was probably Fuego who did break up few attacks and was generally secure defensively, also obviously Postiga and Jonas for the opening goal nice combination, but apart from that it was absolutely terrible performance by the whole team.

RCD Espanyol on the other hand were patient and took their goals easily, the first one after a mistake by Mathieu not covering Lopez well enough, the second one was from a dead ball situation as well and again bad defensive positioning and the third was when Lanzarote passed between both Guardado and Fuego and passed the ball to Bifouma.

So terrible defensive mistakes for the goals, terrible passing in midfield and anonymous forwards and wingers who basically did nothing. This is basically the summary of this match. I hoped for a solid 2-0 win and I got a big and terrible loss, now I'm rally frustrated and doubtful over the team. Instead of improving the team is worsening. I want the team to start playing good and winning and at the least be in the top 4 positions. How hard can it be against such worse teams who don't even have 1/4 of the finances or prestige that Valencia CF has. Why is winning against Espanyol such a hard thing to do?

RCD Espanyol (3): Casilla; Javi López, Colotto, H. Moreno, Fuentes; Víctor Sánchez, David López, Stuani (Lanzarote, m. 78), Pizzi (Abraham, m. 63), Simao y Sergio García (Thievy, m. 72).
Valencia CF (1):  Diego Alves; Joao Pereira, Rami, Ricardo Costa, Mathieu (Guardado, m. 83); Javi Fuego, Míchel (Bernat, m. 63), Éver, Feghouli (Canales, m. 70), Jonas y Hélder Postiga.  
Goals: 10min, 0-1, Postiga. 32min, 1-1, David López. 47min, 2-1, Stuani. 88min, 3-1, Thievy.

Player Ratings:
Diego 5 - Three goals past him and while it was hard to do much for the goals, maybe with his positioning or if he went and punched the ball it would have made a difference, but its hard to judge.
Joao 5.5 - Lively performance from Joao who tried to go forward as much as possible and the problem was he was the widest player on the right, Feghouli was nowhere to be found.
Rami 5 - Another mixed performance, didn't make mistakes this time, but not a very secure performance and always seems kind of clumsy.
R. Costa 5 - Suspected positioning for the second and third goal, but you could argue he had no choice as other players failed as well. Overall just as the overall defense not very good performance.
Mathieu 4.5 - Failed for the first goal, was suspect at the back all night long and utterly to contribute when going forward.
Fuego 6 - Best player of the night and had several interceptions and was helping out the defense, though when the defense was terrible itself it does make him worse as well as a defensive midfielder, but overall a good performance by Fuego.
Michel 5 - Really anonymous performance from Michel who failed to start up on the night. I mean it was like a night and day difference between last match performance and this one.
Feghouli 4.5 - Did absolutely nothing. If he wanted to play worse I don't think he could, his only contribution a shot on goal late in the second half just before he was substituted.
Banega 5 - He is visible on the field and sort of struts around like he is the best player in the world, but most of his passing was terrible, he lost the ball often, didn't pressure opposition players, just overall doing much of nothing.
Jonas 5.5 - Good combination with Postiga for the goal, but that was about his only contribution.
Postiga 5.5 - Scored the goal and after that seemed like he disappeared from the field, this just shows the difference between him and Soldado, as soldado would have fallen back, move to the wing and just overall run across to do something.
Subs:
Bernat 5 - Didn't contribute too much either, had one good run and was a bit more lively than jonas on the wing, but that was about it.
Canales 5.5 - Was active all over the pitch and added some urgency to the play, but I feel it was too little too late.
Guardado 4.5 - Came in and contributed to Espanyols 3rd goal by being easily beaten on the side to allow for the assist that lead to the 3rd goal.