La Liga, Monday, 29.04.2024
Big FC Barcelona have recently suffered two bitter disappointments. Last week, the Catalans were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Champions League against PSG.
They had won the first leg in Paris 3:2. They then suffered a 3:2 defeat at arch-rivals Real Madrid in the Clasico on Sunday. With this defeat, the Blaugrana’s championship run has finally come to an end.
Coach Xavi’s men must now bring the season to a decent conclusion over the final five matchdays in La Liga. They kick off with a home game against Valencia on Monday.
I opt for the bet “Under 2.5 goals” in my Barcelona Valencia betting tip at odds of 2.15 with Bet3000
Looking at the table, the starting position for the Barcelona vs Valencia prediction is quite clear. Barca are in second place, six places and 23 points ahead of their upcoming opponents.
Together with the home advantage, the home side are clearly favored by the best betting providers. The odds for a home win only climb to an average of 1.38.
On the other side, you will get around eight times the stake back for a win for the visitors. In addition, the bookmakers expect more than 2.5 goals (average of 1.67), but do not necessarily believe that “Los Ches” will score.
However, if you want to bet on the “Blanquinegros”, you can try it completely risk-free with the help of a free bet
Barca have certainly had some bad luck with refereeing decisions in the last two games. In the CL second leg against Paris St. Germain, Ronald Araujo was sent off after 29 minutes.
At that point, the Catalans were still leading 1-0, but Barca also got in their own way in the end. For example, Joao Cancelo’s foul on Ousmane Dembelé, which led to a penalty and 1-3.
In the end, the Blaugrana were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Premier League with a 4-1 defeat against PSG, despite having put up such a great fight in the 3-2 first leg at the Parc des Princes.
That was their first defeat since January and 13 competitive matches. And the club also felt clearly disadvantaged in Sunday’s Clasico against Real Madrid
As there is no goal-line technology in La Liga, it was not possible to determine with certainty whether the ball had completely crossed the line when the visitors scored in the first half.
Barcelona had twice taken the lead at the Bernabeu. However, a goal from Bellingham in stoppage time left the Blaugrana with a 3-2 defeat.
After their first away league defeat of the season (9S, 6U), Barcelona are now eleven points behind first place in the table, while Barca are only 5th in the home table with 37 points (12S, 1U, 3N).
In the previous season, Valencia were threatened with their first relegation since 1986. The six-time champions had suffered a devastating downward spiral during the coronavirus pandemic.
Although the club has been owned by a billionaire businessman from Singapore since 2014, VCF is struggling with a huge mountain of debt of over 300 million euros.
For reasons of Financial Fair Play, the owner is only allowed to invest a limited amount of his assets in the club. However, there is hope under coach Ruben Baraja, who took over the team in February 2023.
The former Los Ches professional, who played 263 competitive games for the club from 2000 onwards, led the team to relegation with a two-point cushion on the last matchday of the previous season
And although the “Blanquinegros” were unable to make any big moves on the transfer market last summer, VCF were in 9th place after the first half of the season.
Valencia are currently in fifth place in the table for the second half of the season. Coach Baraja’s men are in 8th place overall and are just one point off a Conference League ticket.
They have already suffered eight defeats in 16 games away from home (5S, 3U). On the other hand, the bats have only lost three games at home (8S, 5U).
35 goals scored is the lowest figure in the top 12 in the league. On the other hand, “Los Ches” only conceded 34 goals. Only two La Liga teams have a better defense
After 206 meetings, Barcelona clearly lead the comparison against Valencia with 99 wins to 55. The difference is even clearer when the Catalans visit.
Here, the bats have only managed to win 15 times in 100 attempts (26U, 59N). VCF’s last win against the Blaugrana came in January 2020 with a 2:0 home victory
“Los Ches” picked up just two points from the following seven duels. This includes the first leg of the current season, which ended in a 1-1 draw at the Mestalla.
Valencia’s last success at Barca was a 2-1 cup win in May 2019. In La Liga, FCB’s most recent home defeat against the “Blanquinegros” dates back to April 2016.
Conclusion: There is certainly a lot to be said for the home side in this clash. But on the other side, the question is how Barca will approach the final spurt in the league? Next season’s Champions League is as good as secured with a 12-point lead in fifth place.
On the other hand, Valencia have been in good form of late and are still hoping for international business. In the end, I expect a close duel in which not many goals will be scored.
The visitors have the third-best defense in the league. And Barca have conceded four times in their last five league home games. Marc Andre ter Stegen has not conceded a goal in three La Liga games in front of his own fans.
My betting tip for the Barcelona – Valencia game is therefore: Under 2.5 goals
