How Valencia Can Break the Madrid and Barcelona Dominance of La Liga

It's time to talk about the big match of the weekend in La Liga, with one team fighting for the title and the other battling for a Champions League place. But not of Real Madrid, of Valencia.

Now under the guidance of Nuno Espirito Santo—former goalkeeper with (briefly) Deportivo La Coruna and (just as briefly) Porto—the team has thrived this year after the 41-year-old came into Valencia at an important, but also an opportune, moment for both parties. Having impressed at Rio Ave in Portugal over the previous two campaigns, Nuno took over in the summer as the spending started up again at the club following Peter Lim's eventual takeover.

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What has transpired since then is a fascinating case study in team-building at pace, starting with a solid base and showing impressive tactical fluidity as the season goes on.

Right now, with the key fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu on the horizon, Los Che are attempting to seal a fourth-place finish. They have a three-point lead over Sevilla and are four behind Atletico Madrid, with three left to play. In the very simplest sort of analysis, had Valencia received more goals from their two main central strikers, Alvaro Negredo and Paco Alcacer, fourth would already be assured and third place would be a pretty fair bet too.

Next season, as Valencia look to crack into that top three, dominated by the Madrid clubs and Barcelona for three years now, it is in that central attacking area that they must look for their first and most obvious improvements to the team. Elsewhere, there are a number of impressive, top-class talents who can be retained and used to build around.

At the back, Diego Alves and Nicolas Otamendi have been the best goalkeeper and centre-back in La Liga. Absolutely without question, absolutely bar none. The likes of Diego Godin, Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique have all been excellent at times and certainly have longevity over Otamendi, but none have had his total conviction and consistency during 2014-15.

The same goes for Alves; there are three or four in the top flight—Sergio Asenjo, Fabricio, Claudio Bravo and so on—who can lay claim to being "next best," but none come even close to the Brazilian's dominating performances and (until the past two weeks, at least) total concentration on a game-to-game basis.

Those are the cornerstones of Valencia's defensive success this season, aided by a group of committed and impressive players around them.

Shkodran Mustafi has grown into the campaign after a very poor start, but even before he excelled there, Vezo was in place to partner Otamendi. The centre of Nuno's defence is well-stocked and set for the long haul. Jose Gaya may move on sooner or later, but the never-ending procession of attacking left-backs at the Mestalla has given them another tremendous season with that particular youngster.

Further ahead, Dani Parejo has emerged over the course of the season into one of the best controlling, creative midfielders in the country.

Mentioned earlier this week and sticking to it now again: On this season's evidence, he deserves to be a part of the Spain national team squad.

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Parejo has everything Nuno wants in terms of his awareness, work rate and capacity to play in different shapes of midfield, but also has the skill set to grace Vicente del Bosque's setup: first touch, passing, vision, set-piece delivery and an ability to shoot from range.

He is complemented by the industrious and rugged Javi Fuego, not a star in the traditional sense but a key component in this team, almost as a Mascherano-lite with his tenacity, aggression and covering the ground quickly across the width of midfield.

Valencia do have inconsistency with other members of the midfield—Andre Gomes and Enzo Perez have flattered to deceive at times—but there is certainly a great base to add to and build from. That core of the team is hard-working but impressive on the ball. It perhaps lacks pace or drive at times if Parejo is unavailable, and on the occasions Nuno has switched away from a 4-3-3, it can lack support to the front players, but by and large Valencia look very strong down their spine.

It is, however, in wide areas of attack that the team has the most natural ability and potential.

Sofiane Feghouli and Pablo Piatti have both been excellent in 2015, while Gaya adds penetrating runs and very impressive crossing accuracy. Getting into the box to provide runners off the ball, cut-backs from dangerous areas and dribbling directly at the opposition defence are keys for Valencia's style, and Piatti was, pre-most recent injury, one of the best in the league at that.

As good as Denis Cheryshev was in the early stages of the season, and as he gained big notoriety with Villarreal, Piatti surpassed him in explosiveness, in end product and in consistency during his own best spell.

The one criticism of Valencia's attack has to be that at times, and this has admittedly seemed to lessen as the season goes on, a lack of goals. Neither Rodrigo (Moreno, the Spanish international) nor Rodrigo de Paul (Argentinian 20-year-old) have contributed anywhere near enough in that regard.

Alcacer started strongly but faded badly, while Negredo has been useful tactically but not in front of goal, netting only five. In fact, in the entire squad, only Parejo, who has added free-kicks and penalties to his tally, has hit double figures in La Liga.

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And that brings us back to the Champions League.

They can qualify, and most probably will finish in the top four, but that lack of goals really could cost them.

Sevilla are just three points behind with three matches to play, though have the Europa League semi-final to navigate too. Valencia have the edge on head-to-head results.

There's not much they can do about it except wait and win their own matches, but if they do make the Champions League, there's scope for them to be seen as a much tougher opponent than some recent big European sides who reached the group stages and struggled to get out. Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, Liverpool and Spain's own Athletic Bilbao have come undone at that point of late.

Valencia, though, are much sterner defensively than those teams, built on a tough tactical game plan with attacking prowess not at the expense of work rate or organisation.

Any new summer signings must add both determination and quality to Nuno's squad to embrace, not inhibit, that trait.

Lim's takeover will ensure there is no shortage of cash to challenge Atletico Madrid next season as Valencia bid to break into the top three. Barcelona can't buy in summer, and Real will do their usual—buy quality names, not needs—and have midfield issues to sort out. And that's without even deciding whether Carlo Ancelotti stays or not.

Atleti showed last year that organisation, determination, belief and, of course, quality can land titles. Valencia have the foundations for that and can add more again this summer. Indeed, given funds and direction, control and patience, this version of Valencia could go on to challenge a repeat of Rafael Benitez's 2002-04 period of battling at the very top for significant prizes.

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