Last week, Barcelona lost to a team sitting outside the La Liga top 10. It’s still on top, but the gap with Real Madrid was reduced to seven points. As for Valencia, Los Che came back to life by defeating the team sitting in third place. Nevertheless, they remain in the relegation zone, meaning they’ll try anything to pull off the stunner at Camp Nou since they come in as the La Liga betting underdogs at +550.
Barcelona: No Need to Panic
I totally expected Barcelona to crush Almeria, but it ended up losing 1-0 instead. Barca won possession with 73% and finished with seven more shots than the home side, but it was a very bad day for the attacking unit, including Robert Lewandowski, the team’s top scorer with 15 goals.
The good news is that Barcelona regained some confidence midweek by defeating Real Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals. The club didn’t have the La Liga odds on its side but won 1-0 at Santiago Bernabeu thanks to an own goal scored by Eder Militao. For the first time in a long time, it managed to win despite losing possession with 35%.
Barca is undefeated at home with a 9-2-0 record. Overall, it scored 45 goals. Only Real Madrid has scored more, with 47. Barcelona also owns the top defensive unit in La Liga, conceding only eight goals in 23 games.
Barcelona is offering a -190 price in the sportsbook to win straight up. Considering it just beat its biggest rival, I would call that a low-risk deal.
Valencia: Nothing to Lose
Last week, Valencia forgot about recent scores and odds and defeated Real Sociedad 1-0. An own goal scored by Igor Zubeldia was enough for Los Che to end a six-game losing streak in all competitions. They were extremely effective, finishing with 37% possession, only taking three shots on goal.
That result also allowed Valencia to take a breather. Yes, it remains in the relegation zone, but only two points behind the team sitting in 15th place. If it pulls off another stunner on Sunday, it’ll be safe, at least for some time.
Ruben Baraja, a former player, took over a couple of weeks ago as head coach after the front office decided to part ways with Salvador Gonzalez. Baraja has done a great job reestablishing a winning mentality. He was well known for being a feisty midfielder, and that’s all he asks of the players: hard work and sacrifice.
Don’t forget to keep an eye on veteran Edinson Cavani, who’s the team’s top scorer with five goals and will lead the attacking unit all alone since Valencia will be heavily relying on the counterattack.
Barcelona vs Valencia Head-to-Head
- Previous Matches: 204
- Barcelona Victories: 98 (393 goals)
- Valencia Victories: 55 (302 goals)
- Draws: 51
Barcelona played the role of betting online favorite well in the first meeting against Valencia, winning 1-0 at Mestalla with a goal in stoppage time scored by Lewandowski. It was a very physical game in which the referee had to show nine yellow cards in total.
That was only the third time in their last 10 encounters that the total went under. According to the latest La Liga lines, the total for Sunday’s contest is set at 2½ goals, with the under offering a +105 price.
Barcelona vs Valencia Match Information
- Date: Sunday, March 5th
- Time: 10:15 a.m. ET
- Location: Camp Nou, Barcelona
- Barcelona vs Valencia Live Stream: fubo.tv
Barcelona vs Valencia Betting Lines
Barcelona vs Valencia Picks and Prediction
Barcelona not only defeated Real Madrid on the road, but it did it without Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembele, Pedri, Andreas Christensen, and Jordi Alba. None of them played, meaning they’re well-rested and eager to get back into action. Valencia will put up a good fight, but it won’t be enough to pull off the upset. However, it will be enough to contribute to the total to go over.
Barcelona is listed at -190 in our Vegas La Liga lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Barcelona, you have a chance to win $53. Valencia is +550 and offers a chance to win $550 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Barcelona a 65.52% chance to win, with Valencia at 15.38%.
Barcelona vs Valencia Match Detail
