Xavi announces the line-up with which Barcelona will visit Valencia. The trainer brings Sergiño Dest, Ousmane Dembélé and Sergio Busquets to his team, also because the Catalans are struggling with various injuries and suspensions. It is striking that Pedri is sitting on the couch. The kick-off is at 4.15 pm in Mestalla.
Barcelona has to do without Samuel Umtiti, Lenglet, Sergi Roberto, Ansu Fati and Memphis Depay due to injuries. In addition, Daniel Alves and Gerard Pique have been suspended. Dest takes over from Alves at right-back, while Ronald Araújo replaces Pique. Frenkie de Jong keeps his place and now plays next to Busquets, who started on the bench against Napoli (1-1). Gavi is the most forward midfielder, at the expense of Nico González.
Luuk de Jong has to do it again with a possible role as pinchhitter, because Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is again in the striker. Adama Troaré loses his right winger spot to Ferran Torres. Ousmane Dembélé also enters the team as a left striker after his strong substitute against Napoli. Another possibility is that Ferran plays in the point, Aubameyang on the left and Dembele as a right striker.
Jasper Cillessen is still injured, which means that Giorgi Mamardashvili is under the bar at Valencia. Mamardashvili won the competition at the beginning of February against Jaume Domènech, who was initially the stand-in for Cillessen. Valencia is in dramatic form and has failed to win the last six league games. With that are los Che descended to tenth place in LaLiga and a European ticket has fallen out of sight. Barcelona is sixth, but has a few duels due compared to the competition.
Valencia lineup: Mamardashvili, Foulquier, Diakhaby, Alderete, Gaya; Guillamon, Soler, Bryan Gil, Moriba; Guedes, Duro.
Barcelona line-up: Ter Stegen; Dest, Araújo, Garcia, Alba; Busquets, Frenkie, Gavi; Ferran, Aubameyang, Dembele.
| No. | Team | m | W | G | V | † | Pnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ajax | 23 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 65 | 57 |
| 2 | PSV | 22 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 26 | 49 |
| 3 | Feyenoord | 22 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 33 | 48 |
| 4 | AZ | 23 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 18 | 45 |
| 5 | FC Twente | 22 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 41 |
| 6 | Vitesse | 22 | 11 | 3 | 8 | -9 | 36 |
| 7 | FC Utrecht | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 35 |
| 8 | NEC | 23 | 8 | 7 | 8 | -4 | 31 |
| 9 | SC Cambuur | 22 | 9 | 3 | 10 | -9 | 30 |
| 10 | Fc Groningen | 23 | 6 | 8 | 9 | -6 | 26 |
| 11 | sc Heerenveen | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | -11 | 25 |
| 12 | Heracles Almelo | 23 | 6 | 5 | 12 | -8 | 23 |
| 13 | RKC Waalwijk | 23 | 5 | 8 | 10 | -12 | 23 |
| 14 | Go Ahead Eagles | 22 | 6 | 4 | 12 | -16 | 22 |
| 15 | William II | 23 | 6 | 3 | 14 | -21 | 21 |
| 16 | Fortuna Sittard | 22 | 5 | 4 | 13 | -26 | 19 |
| 17 | Sparta Rotterdam | 22 | 3 | 8 | 11 | -18 | 17 |
| 18 | PEC Zwolle | 23 | 4 | 5 | 14 | -19 | 17 |