Barcelona: After winning their first 5 of 6 matches, Barcelona has stumbled lately with two straight draws. For most teams this would not seem like a big setback, but we are talking about a team coming off a season with a record-setting point total to win La Liga and a semifinals appearance in the Champions League. The bar has been raised this year and anything less than multiple hardware would be a disapppointment. These expectations have put enormous pressure on the Catalan giant and it showed during their draws. They struggled to find the back of the net against opponents that are considered to be of lesser quality in Ruben Kazan and Mallorca.
Another issue for Barcelona is the health of its players, especially the Spaniards. With the heavy volume of games played including La Liga, the Champions League, and national team duties, it is taking its toll and is evident with the recent health problems: Xavi Hernandez is sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury. David Villa picked up a knee injury in a recent Euro 2012 qualifier. And it could be a matter of time for others: Andres Iniesta's slight frame leaves him constantly vulnerable. Carles Puyol is now on the other side of 30. One wonders if the team will be 100% throught the year and play the entire season together.
On the other hand, Barcelona boasts a tremendous lineup when they are healthy and running on all cylinders. Lionel Messi is a player capable of singlehandedly dismantling an entire team. Other internationals such as Dani Alves provide a great dimension of width on the wings. And a bench that can call on players such as Pedro and Bojan can be very intimidating. It will be interesting to see how the season unfolds for the Catalans.
Valencia: Los Che may have surprised many on the surface by rising to the top of La Liga with 5 wins and 1 draw in 6 games. A deeper look at the team reveals that they may have been underestimated. During the summer, they lost two of their best players in David Villa and David Silva. These two alone accounted for a large portion of Valencia's offense last season. However, Valencia's management quickly attempted to compensate the loss by acquiring Aritz Aduriz and Roberto Soldado. While these are not household names in La Liga, they have picked up the workload well with 4 goals and 2 assists between them in their first 6 games.
Valencia also has a group of young talented players that can be relentless in their offensive attacks. The likes of Juan Mata, Pablo Hernandez, and Ever Benega have been a nightmare for opposing defenses. Mata and Hernandez have already been recognized with call-ups to the Spanish national team and it may only be a matter of time before AFA is knocking on Benega's door. Youth in general is a strength as Valencia's starting lineup has only two players over the age of 30, and one of those players is the goalkeeper.
And if the starters aren't playing at a satisfactory level, Coach Unai Emery has other viable options. At his disposal are young eager players such as Jordi Alba, Alberto Costa, and Mehmet Topal. And veterans such as Vicente and Bruno are available for service. Coach Emery has been a master at pulling the right strings with his bench so far. An example is Valencia's recent win over Atletico Bilbao in which Emery brought in substitute Vicente in the second half. Vicente answered the call by scoring the deciding goal in the 90th minute.
Is Valencia a real number one in La Liga? There are some areas of concern for this club which makes one wonder if they can sustain the top spot. While youth is a strength at most positions, it is not at the goalie position. Cesar Sanchez is thirty-nine years old and he has a lot of mileage. The question becomes whether he will be healthy for the entire season. Also, Valencia's attacking style has left their defense very vulnerable at times. They provide opponents too many opportunities and have been lucky not to give up more goals. Finally, one cannot help but notice that 4 of their 5 wins have been against teams in the bottom half of La Liga, and none of the 5 are ranked higher than ninth place. It will be interesting to see how Valencia fares against stronger opponents such as Real Madrid, Sevilla, Villarreal, and of course, Barcelona.
The match-up: As visitors, Valencia has not scored a goal since February 2008 at Camp Nou. This year it is the home team that has struggled to score. Barcelona has scored only two goals in three games at Camp Nou. However, don't expect a scoring drought in this game. Both teams favor an attacking style with players that can make deadly runs on the wings or the middle of the field. Teams that have packed 10 men defensively in the box have experienced success against Barcelona, but will Valencia employ such a strategy? Probably not. Such a strategy would take Valencia out of its game. And right now they are licking their chops, as they see Barcelona as a weaker team without playmaker Xavi and possibly without Villa also. But don't expect Barcelona to be without offensive fireworks. Remember, they have Messi.
Prediction: 2-2 draw, with a late goal spoiling Barcelona's chance at getting their second home win of the season.