Barcelona vs Valencia Prediction 29 April 2024

Barca has remained trophyless this season. The only remaining task for the team is not to lose to their sensational neighbors from Girona in the battle for second place. In the 33rd round, the "Blaugrana" will face Valencia, a team we haven't seen this high up in the table for a long time. The fight for European cups is a serious motivation for the "Bats". But will it help them take points from "Olympic Louis Companies"?

Losses

Balde and Gavi have been long-term residents in the Catalan infirmary, and de Jong has joined them after a terrible injury in the recent El Clasico. Of course, all of them are important for Xavi and would definitely strengthen the game.

Valencia also has three losses – these are Gaya, Diakhaby, and Yaremchuk. All three have been injured since March. Their help would clearly not be amiss for the "Bats" at the season's end. This is especially true for captain Gaya, covering the left-back position.

Head-to-Head 

It's important to note that the three last duels between the teams turned out to be anomalously "dry" – none saw more than two goals scored. But from the results perspective, nothing supernatural is observed – Barca continues to dominate Valencia. In the last 7 matches, they have not suffered a single defeat, securing five victories. So, betting on a Catalan triumph at 1.4 is one of the obvious options.

Referee and Fouls

The match referee is Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea, who, even with all the will in the world, cannot be called strict. With an average of yellow cards per season (3.7), he occupies an honorable last place among La Liga referees. In the last 10 matches, the Spaniard has not shown more than 6 warnings once, and the average number of fouls over the same stretch is just 23 violations.

As one of the main forces of the championship, Barca rarely needs to foul – averaging 10.94 times per game, although they do like to accumulate yellow cards. 2.31 warnings per match is an impressive figure, even compared to many outsiders.

Interestingly, Valencia is exactly the opposite. The "Bats" break the rules more often (12.88 times), but try not to play too rough, so with an average number of yellow cards (1.75), they are almost a model team. Thus, a flood of "mustards" in the upcoming match is unlikely. You can bet on total yellow cards less (5) at 1.53.

Team Overviews

Before the match against Real Madrid, in which the Catalans finally said goodbye to their dreams of winning La Liga, Barcelona was on an excellent streak. Xavi's team hadn't conceded in 6 consecutive league matches. Betting on the "Blaugrana" to keep a clean sheet again is valued at 2.04.

Last round, Valencia also lost to a direct competitor, graciously conceding seventh place to Betis. During the match, the "Bats" had as many as seven corners, which is an anomaly for them. According to this criterion, Ruben Baraja's proteges are last in the championship with an average of 3.19. Unsurprisingly, in 11 out of Valencia's last 12 matches, the total corners were less (10.5). This outcome is offered at 1.51.

Editorial Prediction

Despite their recent winning streak, Barcelona's play does not instill fear in their opponents. In many rounds, the Catalans had a hard time securing points. Considering that Valencia hasn't lost by more than one goal in their last 8 matches, betting on the visitors' handicap (+1.5) at 1.89 looks fully justified. Especially since this bet has won in the last 3 head-to-head between the teams.

*detailed statistics of the playing teams and trends for many other markets await you further down the page