Guardiola says Valencia could win league

Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola says he is not just concerned about the threat to his champions from Real Madrid this season but from current league leaders Valencia, Barca’s opponents on Saturday.

“I think (Valencia) are a candidate for the title and I’m sure that we’ll see a good match on Saturday,” he told a news conference.

“Valencia has the same coach (Unai Emery) for the past two years and I’m not surprised that they are the leaders,” said Guardiola, who has won the Spanish league twice the European Champions League once in two years in charge of Barcelona.

“Everything they do, they do very well, it’s a team prepared to defend and to attack,” he said.

Valencia is the surprise leader of the Primera Liga, with five wins and one draw, ahead of Villareal, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

That is despite losing their two best players in the summer: David Villa to Barcelona and David Silva to Manchester City.

For the past six seasons, the Spanish league has been won by either Real or Barcelona.