Prediction: Barcelona vs Real Valladolid

Verdict: Home win to nil

Best odds: 10/11

Bookmaker: Olympusbet

Barcelona will be looking to maintain their perfect start to the 2024/25 La Liga season as they face newly-promoted Real Valladolid on Saturday afternoon at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

Hansi Flick’s side have made an impressive start, sitting at the top of the table with nine points from three matches. Meanwhile, Real Valladolid have also enjoyed a respectable return to the top flight, securing four points from their opening three games, which places them in 11th position.

Barcelona

Xavi’s unexpected departure as Barcelona head coach at the end of last season created uncertainty at Camp Nou, but new manager Hansi Flick has quickly steadied the ship. There is significant pressure on Flick to compete with Real Madrid for the La Liga title, but his start has been promising. Despite some off-field issues, the German coach has guided Barcelona to three consecutive wins over Valencia, Athletic Bilbao, and Rayo Vallecano, putting them at the top of the table with nine points from nine.

Barcelona have shown resilience, coming from behind in two of those three victories. In their latest outing against Rayo Vallecano, Pedri’s equalizer and Dani Olmo’s debut goal ensured a hard-fought 2-1 win in Madrid. Given their strong start, Barcelona will be eager to go into the September international break with a perfect record.

However, injuries have posed a challenge. The loss of midfielder Marc Bernal to a serious knee injury has left a gap in the squad, and while Barcelona have only signed Pau Victor and Olmo so far, more transfer activity is expected. The club is likely to bring in a new midfielder to bolster their squad depth as they navigate the rest of the season.

Team News

Barcelona’s squad is currently dealing with a significant injury crisis, with seven players sidelined, including Marc Bernal, whose ACL injury was confirmed on Wednesday. The 17-year-old will undergo surgery, adding to the club’s growing list of unavailable players. Andreas Christensen, Eric Garcia, Ansu Fati, Ronald Araujo, Frenkie de Jong, and Gavi are also out, leaving new head coach Hansi Flick with limited options for rotation.

Despite these setbacks, Flick can still make some adjustments to the lineup. Dani Olmo, who came off the bench against Rayo Vallecano, is expected to be handed his first start for Barcelona. Additionally, Fermin Lopez is likely to step in for the injured Bernal, while Alejandro Balde could replace Gerard Martin in the defence.

Real Valladolid

Real Valladolid can be reasonably satisfied with their start to the 2024-25 La Liga season, having secured four points from their first three matches, placing them 11th in the table. After finishing second in the Segunda Division last season, the White and Violets returned to La Liga with a 1-0 victory over Espanyol in their opener.

Despite losing 3-0 to Real Madrid in their second match, Paulo Pezzolano’s side put up a strong fight against the champions. The score remained 1-0 until the 88th minute, before late goals from Brahim Diaz and Endrick made the defeat appear more comprehensive than it was.

Real Valladolid followed that up with a goalless draw against Leganes on Wednesday evening, and they now prepare for a tough test against Barcelona before the international break. After that, they will face Celta Vigo on September 14.

Pucela can take some confidence from their last encounter with Barcelona, a 3-1 victory in May 2023, but they face a daunting challenge at Camp Nou, where they haven’t won since November 1997.

Team News

Anuar Tuhami remains sidelined and will not be available for selection, but otherwise, the team is in excellent shape ahead of their clash with Barcelona.

Summer arrival Juanmi Latasa, who joined from Real Madrid, is eager to make his first start after coming off the bench in the midweek draw against Leganes, though Pezzolano may ask him to wait for his chance.

Ivan Sanchez is another option the head coach could consider as he contemplates potential changes, but it’s likely that he will stick with the same lineup from Wednesday night. This would mean that Raul Moro and Amath Ndiaye continue to provide support for Mamadou Sylla in the attack.

Conclusion

Real Valladolid will be aiming to secure consecutive victories over Barcelona for just the third time in their history, but it seems unlikely that they will succeed on this occasion. Despite their determination, it’s tough to bet against Barcelona.

Hansi Flick’s side might need to be patient during Saturday’s match, but with the quality they possess, they should be able to find a way through and claim a fourth straight win to continue their perfect start to the new season.

Having won all their games with identical scorelines, 2-1, the challenge for the Blaugrana will now be to try and win one with a clean sheet.

Verdict: Home win to nil

Best odds: 10/11

Bookmaker: Olympusbet