Although Barcelona had to deal with Champions League heartbreak once again, the Blaugrana are looking to end their season the right way.
- Date & Time
- May 25th, 2019 3:00pm
- Location
- Estadio Benito Villamarin, Sevilla, Spain
- Media Coverage
- ESPN Deportes
Although Barcelona had to deal with Champions League heartbreak once again, the Blaugrana are looking to end their season the right way. They can claim five straight Copa Del Rey titles and win the domestic double for the fourth time in five seasons with a victory over Valencia on Saturday. Barcelona have won more Copa Del Rey titles (30) than any other team in Spanish football, but injuries will challenge them in this one.
Barcelona vs. Valencia
Copa Del Rey Final Opening Odds:
La Liga teams don’t enter the Copa Del Rey until the Round of 32, so these teams had to beat just four other clubs in order to make it to the final.
Valencia have had a much easier route to this point than their counterparts. They were paired against third division Ebro in the Round of 32, and the Bats then took on second division Sporting Gijon in the Round of 16. Valencia didn’t have a problem with either side, but they nearly saw their cup dreams dashed in the quarterfinals. Rodrigo had to score twice in the span of two minutes in extra time to lead Valencia past Getafe and into the semifinals. He was the hero again at that juncture, netting the lone goal in the second leg to push the Bats past Real Betis and into the final.
It was a much tougher path for Barcelona to get back to the final. Barca had no problem with Cultural Leonesa in their first tie, but they were forced to overcome first leg deficits in each of the next three rounds. Levante stunned Barcelona in the first leg in the Round of 16, yet Barca overcame that deficit, and they did the same in the quarterfinals after Sevilla beat them 2-0 in the first leg. In the semifinals, Barcelona were forced to overcome a 1-1 home draw with rivals Real Madrid in the first leg, and they ended up thumping their El Clasico counterparts 3-0 to make it here.
Injury Report
Midfielder Denis Cheryshev suffered a season-ending knee injury last month for Valencia, and it’s looking likely that the club will also be without the services of center back Ezequiel Garay in this match. However, midfielder Francis Coquelin was able to return for the season finale and should be good to go.
There’s a lot more injuries to worry about for Barcelona. Luis Suarez and Rafinha are both out after undergoing surgeries, and it’s looking unlikely that either Ousmane Dembele or Arthur will be able to suit up. Philippe Coutinho is questionable, while Nelson Semedo and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen are designated as probable.
Valencia Player to Watch
Rodrigo has been clutch for the Bats throughout the Copa Del Rey. He has four goals and an assist in six matches this competition, and Rodrigo continues to show that he performs much better in non-league matches than he does in league ones.
Barcelona Player to Watch
Lionel Messi does it all for Barcelona, and he will have to do even more for his club to win the Copa Del Rey. The club’s injuries are very pronounced on the offensive end, leaving Messi as the only surefire quality option. He won the Golden Boot by a laughable margin this season, and he notched 36 goals and 13 assists in 49 league matches. His point total was nearly double that of the next closest player.
Barcelona vs. Valencia Betting Prediction
The under and Valencia on the goal line look like the best bets on the board. Barcelona’s injuries are pretty big, and they won’t have the same firepower available.
