Barcelona return to the Estadi Johan Cruyff on Sunday night with an unbeaten record on the line as they face a Valencia side desperate to prove they can challenge after suffering some historic humiliations in this fixture.
The Catalan giants have enjoyed a strong start under Hans-Dieter Flick, collecting seven points from their opening three matches. Two away victories over Mallorca and Levante were followed by a 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano, a result that slightly slowed their early momentum. Despite that, Barcelona remain one of the most threatening sides in LaLiga, having already scored seven goals while looking far more structured under their new coach.
Valencia, meanwhile, sit in mid-table with four points from three games. Their campaign began with a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad before a narrow defeat to Osasuna exposed their defensive flaws. A convincing 3-0 win over Getafe showed flashes of promise, but inconsistency continues to be their biggest challenge under Carlos Corberán.
History heavily favors Barcelona in this clash. In 2025 alone, they crushed Valencia 7-1 in LaLiga and followed it up with a 5-0 Copa del Rey thrashing, with Ferran Torres scoring a hat-trick in the latter. Last season also brought more misery for Los Che, as Robert Lewandowski inspired a 4-2 victory with a hat-trick, reinforcing Barcelona’s dominance.
Lamine Yamal has emerged as the star of Barcelona’s early campaign. The teenage sensation has already registered two goals and two assists in three appearances, proving to be a constant menace with his direct running and creativity. He has fond memories against Valencia, having scored and assisted in their Copa del Rey meeting earlier this year.
For Valencia, Diego López remains their brightest attacking outlet. He has one goal so far this season and boasts three career assists against Barcelona, though he will need far more support if Valencia are to spring a surprise at the Johan Cruyff.
Barcelona will be eager to move into the top three with a win, while Valencia aim to climb away from mid-table. But given recent results and the gulf in form, the challenge for Los Che will be as much psychological as tactical. Avoiding another heavy defeat may already feel like progress.
