Valencia vs Barcelona Betting: Blaugrana Open as Road Faves
La Liga Underway as Valencia Host Barcelona
Potential Barcelona Debut for Dani Olmo
As of Wednesday, Barcelona still haven’t been able to register new signing Dani Olmo for their La Liga opener at Valencia. The Blaugrana’s financial troubles have been highly publicized but they’re expected to find a way to make things work.
- Once registered, Olmo should be a key player under new coach Hansi Flick, who took over after Xavi departed the club after the 2023-24 season.
Officially a Barça player 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/8d87r9ul5C
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 12, 2024
Meanwhile, Valencia and their young squad will look to build on last season’s solid campaign this time around.
As the La Liga season gets underway, we’ll discuss Valencia vs Barcelona betting odds, which currently favor road side Barça.
Valencia vs Barcelona
⚽Records: Valencia (0-0-0), Barcelona (0-0-0)
⏰Day/Time: 📍Location: Estadio de Mestalla, Valencia, Spain
Valencia vs Barcelona Head-to-Head:
Anyone interested in Valencia vs Barcelona betting should know that Barcelona is on an eight-game unbeaten streak in this fixture. During that time Barça have compiled a 6-2-0 record.
Both La Liga teams scored in both meetings last season, as Barcelona won 4-2 at home and drew 1-1 at the Mestalla.
Notably, Valencia has just one La Liga win over Barcelona since 2016. In all competitions, Barcelona is also on a 36-game scoring streak against Valencia.
Duro, Mamardashvili, Pepelu Key for Valencia
2023-24 Season:
- La Liga: 13-10-15 (9th)
- Copa del Rey: Round of 16, lost 3-1 vs Celta Vigo
Valencia had the second-youngest squad in the league last season, behind Barcelona and they managed to finish in ninth place in the Spanish La Liga standings. Hugo Duro led Los Murcielagos with 13 league goals in 2023-24 as goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili emerged as one of the best young shotstoppers in the world.
Mamardashvili, who was key for Georgia at Euro 2024, has attracted interest from Liverpool but Valencia won’t let him leave on the cheap. Meanwhile, Pepelu has also established himself as one of the better midfielders in the league. Also, Coach Ruben Baraja signed a contract extension to 2026 after last season’s performances.
- This time around, Valencia will look to compete for a European spot and they’ve brought in a couple of forwards to supplement Duro’s production. Rafa Mir and Dani Gomez are both at the club on loan but Mir’s production has tailed off the last couple of seasons.
With another year of experience under their belts and their key players back, Valencia could spring a few surprises this season. However, they did win only one of their six pre-season friendlies.
Jose Gaya and Mouctar Diakhaby are injured, while Fran Perez and Sergi Canos are listed as day-to-day.
Injuries Hamper Barcelona
2023-24 Season:
- La Liga: 26-7-5 (2nd)
- Champions League: Quarter-Finalists, lost 6-4 (agg.) to PSG
- Copa del Rey: Quarter-Finalists, lost 4-2 (a.e.t.) at Athletic Club
- Supercopa de España: Finalists, lost 4-1 to Real Madrid
Xavi left Barcelona, as a coach, with a La Liga title and a legacy of handing precocious youngsters their debuts. Some of the best young La Liga players, including Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, and Pau Cubarsi all got their starts under Xavi. They should continue to play key roles with Hansi Flick in charge.
- Winger Yamal was one of the best players at Euro 2024 despite only turning 17 the day before winning the final. Meanwhile, midfielder Lopez was the standout player from the Spanish Olympic team that won the gold medal.
With Dani Olmo now in the fold, Barcelona can play him, Frenkie De Jong, and Ilkay Gundogan in midfield when they’re all healthy. However, De Jong still has issues, while Ronald Araujo is out long-term with a hamstring issue. Pedri, Gavi, and Ansu Fati are also out.
These injury concerns are not insignificant and it wouldn’t be surprising if Barcelona get off to a slower start than expected on their 2024 La Liga schedule.
Valencia vs Barcelona Odds & Analysis
As Valencia hasn’t defeated Barcelona in a La Liga match for over four years, the hosts come in at +360 odds to win this one. Meanwhile, visitors Barcelona are priced at -140 odds and they lost only two La Liga games on the road in 2023-24.
The Valencia vs Barcelona betting odds also list a draw at +290 and it’d be the second straight in this fixture at the Mestalla. Valencia +0.5 sits at +105 odds as most matches between the sides at the Mestalla tend to be close.
Barcelona fell 3-0 in their final preseason game on Monday, against Monaco, but their lineup should look much different this weekend. In any case, their defense could suffer while Araujo is out, and over 2.5 goals show -135 odds for Saturday’s season opener.
- Still, Flick and Robert Lewandowski had a great rapport at Bayern and the German coach should have Barcelona creating plenty of chances this season.
| Valencia | Barcelona | Draw |
|---|---|---|
| +360 | -140 | +290 |
For La Liga predictions, betting analysis, and more visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
