Barcelona vs. Valencia: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
Barcelona must recover quickly after Tuesday's shock elimination from the UEFA Champions League at the hands of AS Roma and focus on sealing another La Liga title, beginning with the visit of Valencia to the Camp Nou on Saturday.
The Blaugrana lead Spain's top flight by 11 points with seven games to play, but they will find Valencia tough opposition. Los Che have been revitalised this season under manager Marcelino, who has guided the club into the Champions League places.
Valencia are third, one place ahead of champions Real Madrid. Marcelino's men have the strength and quality to end Barca's unbeaten league run.
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Here are the schedule and viewing details:
Date: Saturday, April 14
Time: 3:15 p.m. BST, 10:15 a.m. ET
TV Info: beIN Sports
Live Stream: beIN Sports CONNECT, fuboTV
Barca will likely still be reeling after blowing a 4-1 lead against Roma with a 3-0 loss at the Stadio Olimpico. The Blaugrana's quarter-final exit on away goals from Europe's top club tournament has left key figures subject to criticism.
Manager Ernesto Valverde and attacking talisman Lionel Messi have born the brunt. Marca (h/t Sky Sports) chided the Argentina international for having "lost possession 19 times."
Meanwhile, the Sky Sports report also cited Mundo Deportivo complaining about Valverde's risk-averse approach during the tie.
With Messi having a point to prove, it could be bad news for Valencia. The 30-year-old should be buoyed by the return of Philippe Coutinho, who was cup-tied for the Champions League.
The former Liverpool playmaker forged a dynamic connection with Messi in Barca's last domestic match, a 3-1 win over Leganes. The Argentinian bagged a hat-trick in the game, while Ousmane Dembele also started.
Surprisingly, the French forward was left out against Roma, but he has the pace, trickery and eye for a pass to put the swagger and fluency back into Barca's play going forward.
Fluency will be needed against a defensively adept Valencia team. Los Che have kept clean sheets in their last two matches, both 1-0 wins, against Leganes and Espanyol.
Centre-backs Gabriel Paulista and Ezequiel Garay are a formidable pairing, while the imposing Geoffrey Kondogbia is a destructive presence at the base of midfield. However, Valencia will be without Francis Coquelin, as the former Arsenal man continues to recover from an Achilles injury.
Barcelona will be without key midfielder Ivan Rakitic, after the club confirmed (h/t MailOnline's Anthony Hay) the Croatia international needed surgery on a broken finger suffered during the defeat in Rome.
Breaking Valencia down will require all of Barca's flair and ingenuity in the final third. Meanwhile, the hosts' defence must guard against the pace of Rodrigo, Los Che's match-winner on two occasions recently.
Despite their Champions League woes, Barcelona still have the quality and motivation needed to get back on track in La Liga.
