FC Barcelona News

Xavi and Alexis have been rested for Sunday’s match (9 pm, Canal+1 and Canal + HD)

Barça have only won one of their last five matches away to Valencia

Barça’s last win dates back to the 2010-2011 season and was decided by a single Messi goal (0-1)

It may only be the third game of the league campaign but the objective remains the same as ever – take the three points and keep up the pressure at the top of the table.  For Barça, it’s the second away match on the bounce and their recent record in the Mestalla suggests that they face a tough challenge on Sunday against Valencia.  They have a relatively meagre haul of four wins there in the past ten years, the last one coming three seasons ago, with a single Messi strike making the difference between the two sides.  Barça need to win – and to win in the best Barça style.

Thumbs up for Messi and Adriano

Leo Messi has returned to full training after spending last Friday in the care of the Club’s physios, and will be available to manager Tata Martino.  The squad has also been boosted by the return of Adriano Correia but Alexis Sánchez and Xavi Hernández, both of whom have featured heavily in recent matches, are rested.  Martino will trim the squad to 18 players before kick-off.

Unbeaten since 2006/07

Many of Barça’s recent visits to Valencia have ended in a stalemate and Barça have avoided defeat there since the 2006/07 season, when the team coached by Frank Rijkaard lost 2-1.  On the flip side, the last time Barça came away with all three points was in the 2010/11 season, a single Messi goal separating the two sides.  And with just a single victory in the last five visits, it’s time for Barça to get back to winning ways in the Mestalla.

The former Serbian international made eleven appearances against Barça as a Valencia player, winning and losing five and drawing just the once

In 1994, he missed a penalty to hand the fourth consecutive league title to FC Barcelona and the ‘Dream Team’

Miroslav Djukic has never donned a Barça shirt but many fans have a special place in their hearts for the man who was unlucky enough to miss a vital penalty and clear the way for the Dream Team to take their fourth consecutive league title.  On 14^th May 1994, Barça – who trailed Deportivo by two points in a two-way fight for the league title – put themselves in the hunt with a 5-2 victory over a Sevilla side managed by Luis Aragonés and featuring Unzué, Soler, Suker and Simeone (goals from Stoitchkov (2), Romario, Laudrup and Bakero­).

Deportivo de la Corunya had an inferior goal difference so needed a win at all costs.  They were up against Valencia, managed by Guus Hiddink and boasting the likes of Quique Sánchez Flores, Mendieta and Mijatovic.  In the 89^th minute, the referee awarded a penalty to Deportivo to put the Galician club within a minute of their first league title.  Djukic stepped up to take responsibility but his effort was saved by González – causing an explosion of celebrations in the Camp Nou – and the league title went back to Barcelona.

A good record as a Valencia player

In 1997, Djukic moved from Deportivo to Valencia, staying there for six years.  The defender made eleven appearances for Valencia against FC Barcelona, enjoying the relative success of five wins and a draw, and five defeats.

He received two yellow cards, and only came off the bench once, in the match between Barça and Valencia in the 2001-02 season.  The game ended in dramatic fashion with a great goal from Rivaldo, a pitch invasion and FC Barcelona snatching the last Champions League place from the hands of Valencia.

Second season in the top flight

Djukic brought the curtain down on his playing career at Tenerife in 2004.  He moved quickly into management, taking charge of his first Spanish club in 2010-11 but was unable to save Hércules from relegation.  He then took Valladolid up from the second into the first division, and along the way won his two matches against Barça reserves (1-0 in Valladolid and 1-2 in the Miniestadi).

However, Djukic the manager is yet to taste victory against FC Barcelona in the first division.  Last season, Barça won 1-3 in the Zorrilla stadium and 2-1 in the Camp Nou.  Now, in his second season as a first division manager, Djukic has got another chance seize his first win.

Saturday training session before Valencia match

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The Barça manager explained that he is resting Xavi and Alexis because of the number of games they have played so far

Martino revealed one of the keys to Sunday’s game: “We have to stop Ever Banega from influencing the game”

Gerardo Martino spoke at a press conference on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s match against Valencia in the Mestalla (kick-off 9pm).  The Argentine manager revealed that he has excluded Xavi Hernández and Alexis Sánchez from the match squad and explained: “It was their turn to rest”.  He insisted that the team “need to get into gear to play at their best” and that “we need to improve our teamwork”.

Harmonize movements

“We need to improve our teamwork; that will improve individual performances.  What we have to do now is get into our best form and above all win matches. How do we improve?  Working hard in training, coordinating the movements of the fullbacks, the midfielders…we have to harmonize movements.  We have to get then back so we don’t give any space to our opponents”. 

Stopping Banega

For Martino, keeping Argentine international midfielder Ever Banega under control will be one of the keys to winning in the Mestalla.  “We have to stop Banega from influencing the game.  We’ll try and be at our best to stop him”.  As for the Valencia team in general, he explained: “They’ve played two very different matches.  They changed a number of players from the first to the second match, and shuffled positions around”.

However, Martino is clear about how he’s going to approach the match.  “As the home side, Valencia have to go for the win.  I’m in no doubt about that.  What we do is imagine what might happen and then see if there are alternatives”.

 “We have to score more goals”

Finally, Martino highlighted the success of the Barça defence in limiting the number of shots on target, but he also insisted that his players have to snap up their own chances.  “It’s great that they can’t score against us and we haven’t given away many chances.  We have to keep those chances to a minimum.  But with the players we have up front, we also have to score more, though we have had the chances”.

Gerardo Martino has named a 19-man squad for Sunday’s match away to Valencia (9 pm, Canal +) and has left out Xavi, Alexis and Oier

Messi and Adriano completed this Saturday’s training session without problems and have been included in the squad

The Barça players go down to Valencia this Sunday for the third round of the league campaign against a side that has traditionally proved to be a tough nut to crack (9 pm, Canal +). Gerardo Martino has announced a squad of 19 players for the match and has decided not to take Xavi, Alexis and Oier.  However, Messi and Adriano have been declared fit by Club doctors and have made the cut for Sunday’s clash.

Final training session ahead of Mestalla clash

Martino was in charge of the final training session before the players travel down to Valencia on Sunday.  Youth player Xavi Quintillà trained alongside the seniors.  Leo Messi and Adriano were the main talking points of this Saturday’s session in the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.  The Argentine rejoined the main group of players in training after having physio treatment on Friday while Adriano also completed today’s session satisfactorily.