Postpublished at 29 mins
Valencia 0-0 Barcelona
Image source, ReutersA free kick from Barcelona is met by Pau Cubarsi but it's headed well over the crossbar.
This match could really do with a goal or two.
Summary
Valencia lead Barcelona through Duro header
Lewandowski levels after Yamal assist before converting penalty
Postpublished at 29 mins
Image source, ReutersHuge talent missing for Barcapublished at 26 mins
Valencia 0-0 Barcelona
There's some real talent missing from this Barcelona side tonight with the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi and Dani Olmo all to come into the starting XI at some point.
Postpublished at 24 mins
Valencia 0-0 Barcelona
Alejandro Balde is down and in some pain, as he receives treatment on his hamstring.
This is a worry for Barca as the left-back missed games last season with the same injury.
Postpublished at 22 mins
Valencia 0-0 Barcelona
Diogo Lopez finds space in the box and slides the ball across the face of goal towards Hugo Duro.
The ball is deflected and Marc-Andre ter Stegen is able to palm the ball wide.
Postpublished at 20 mins
Valencia 0-0 Barcelona
Robert Lewandowski has barely been involved in the action in the opening 20 minutes.
The ball has been played largely down the flanks and Barca are looking to feed in Lamine Yamal at every opportunity.
Postpublished at 20 mins
Valencia 0-0 Barcelona
What a goal that would have been from Raphinha!
He picks the ball up on the left and unleashes a great strike towards goal but Giorgi Mamardashvili is equal to it and palms it away.
Postpublished at 18 mins
Valencia 0-0 Barcelona
Raphinha wants a free-kick for nothing and referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez rightfully said no.
Valencia play on and catch Barca sleeping but the flag goes up before the home side can create any chances.
Postpublished at 15 mins
Valencia 0-0 Barcelona
That chance for Rafa Mir has livened up the Mestalla crowd and the team are responding!
Their first corner of the game is met by Hugo Duro but he can only head over the top.
Postpublished at 13 mins
Valencia 0-0 Barcelona
Huge chance for Valencia! Rafa Mir was inches away from getting on the end of a wicked cross from the left.
He threw himself at the ball but couldn't make contact with his head.
Postpublished at 11 mins
Valencia 0-0 Barcelona
Image source, ReutersIt's not been a great opening for Valencia so far as they struggle to keep hold of the ball.
Valencia finished ninth in La Liga last season and will be hoping to improve on that this time around.
Postpublished at 9 mins
Valencia 0-0 Barcelona
Image source, ReutersFerran Torres getting booed every time he touches the ball. He left Valencia for Man City in 2020.
Postpublished at 7 mins
Valencia 0-0 Barcelona
Image source, Getty ImagesFirst corner of the match for Barcelona as the ball is spread wide to Lamine Yamal. He cuts inside onto his left foot and looks to unleash a strike on goal.
Luckily for Valencia, it's blocked and the corner comes to nothing.
Postpublished at 5 mins
Valencia 0-0 Barcelona
First bit of skill from Lamine Yamal as he beautifully moves with the ball and draws a foul.
Still can't believe he's only 17 and that good!
Postpublished at 3 mins
Valencia 0-0 Barcelona
Image source, Getty ImagesBarca have settled into the match as you'd expect as they keep hold of the ball and move carefully up the pitch.
A long ball forward is taken by Raphinha but Ferran Torres' shot is blocked.
KICK-OFFpublished at 20:33 British Summer Time 17 August
Valencia 0-0 Barcelona
Valencia get the game under way at the start of this La Liga season. Let's hope for plenty of goals here!
Lewandowski still going strongpublished at 20:32 British Summer Time 17 August
Valencia v Barcelona (20:30 BST)
35-year-old Robert Lewandowski is still going strong and leading the line for Barcelona tonight.
He's got a brilliant 42 goals in 69 appearances in the Catalan colours and he'll be looking to add to that tonight.
The Mestalla is bouncingpublished at 20:30 British Summer Time 17 August
Valencia v Barcelona (20:30 BST)
Here we go then, the Mestalla is absolutely bouncing for the first game of the season.
As always, everyone is full of hope and optimism heading into a new campaign but that can quickly come crashing down after the first 90 minutes.
We'll see who's happiest in the next 90 minutes or so.
'We need to be brave'published at 20:29 British Summer Time 17 August
Valencia v Barcelona (20:30 BST)
ValenciaValencia manager Ruben Baraja: "They are a great team and we are really looking forward to it. We are looking forward to going in with the energy it brings from us.
"But we need to be brave."
Image source, Getty Images'We have to play very intense'published at 20:27 British Summer Time 17 August
Valencia v Barcelona (20:30 BST)
BarcelonaBarcelona manager Hansi Flick: "To come to this fantastic stadium, we know there is a special atmosphere but we accept that we have to play very intense."
Image source, Getty ImagesSuperstar Yamal back in actionpublished at 20:24 British Summer Time 17 August
Valencia v Barcelona (20:30 BST)
It hurt as an England fan watching Spain lift Euro 2024 but you can't deny the Spaniards were the best side to watch throughout the whole tournament.
A huge reason for that was Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal, who lit up the tournament in Germany.
Yamal turned 17 (unbelievable, I know!) during the Euros and will only improve with the more games he plays.
Who else is excited to see what Yamal has up his sleeve for this season? Because I know I am!
Image source, Getty Images
Robert Lewandowski has scored six goals in his four La Liga games against Valencia
Barcelona began life under new boss Hansi Flick with a win at Valencia to kick off their La Liga campaign.
Former Germany boss Flick's side were made to come from behind after Hugo Duro tapped a Diego Lopez cross past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The first half was a slow burner before Duro's 44th-minute opener. At that point it burst into life, with Duro having an effort cleared off the line before Robert Lewandowski connected with Lamine Yamal's drilled pass to level.
Valencia had put up a strong showing before the break, but Barcelona then showed their superiority and went ahead as veteran striker Lewandowski converted from the penalty spot in the 49th minute after Raphinha was tripped inside the box.
Yamal was a constant threat and the 17-year-old's dribbling on the wings proved tough for Valencia to handle.
Valencia caused trouble of their own with Barcelona often being sloppy in midfield, and the hosts were strong on the counter-attack.
But Flick's men were ultimately a class above and managed the rest of the game well to nullify Valencia's threats and collect all three points.
Barcelona, who finished 10 points behind champions Real Madrid as runners-up last season, face Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, 24 August (18:00 BST) in their next La Liga game.
Related topics
- Published9 August
- Attribution
- Published15 August
- Published11 August
Spanish La Liga Scores & Fixtures
Spanish La Liga Table
On Saturday 17th August
Skip to table keyMatch Participants:
- Barcelona, Position 2, Points 3
- Valencia, Position 20, Points 0
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celta Vigo | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
|
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| |
| 3 | Las Palmas | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
|
| 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 5 | Girona | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
| 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 7 | Leganés | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
| 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 9 | Osasuna | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
| 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 12 | Espanyol | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
| 13 | Mallorca | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
| 14 | Rayo Vallecano | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
| 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 17 | Real Valladolid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
| 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 19 | Deportivo Alavés | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
|
| 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
|
Key
- Position 1 - 4 : UEFA Champions League
- Position 5 : UEFA Europa League
- Position 6 : UEFA Conference League Qualifiers
- Position 18 - 20 : Relegation
Team Lineups
home team, Valencia
Manager: Rubén Baraja
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
Pitch Formation
25, Mamardashvili, Goalkeeper
12, Thierry Correia, Defender
3, Mosquera, Defender
24, Gasiorowski, Defender
21, Vázquez, Defender
11, Mir, Midfielder
18, Pepelu, Midfielder
8, Guerra, Midfielder
16, López, Midfielder
10, André Almeida, Striker
9, Duro, Striker
Starting lineup
- Number 25, G. Mamardashvili
- Number 21, Jesús Vázquez , Yellow Card at 45 minutes plus 5, substituted for Martín Tejón at 78 minutes
- Number 24, Yarek Gąsiorowski
- Number 3, Cristhian Mosquera
- Number 12, Thierry Correia
- Number 16, Diego López , substituted for D. Foulquier at 66 minutes
- Number 8, Javi Guerra , substituted for Hugo Guillamón at 86 minutes
- Number 18, Pepelu , Captain, Yellow Card at 38 minutes
- Number 11, Rafa Mir , substituted for David Otorbi at 77 minutes
- Number 9, Hugo Duro
- Number 10, André Almeida , substituted for Dani Gómez at 66 minutes
Substitutes
home team, Valencia
- Number 39, Rodrigo Abajas
- Number 13, S. Dimitrievski
- Number 28, A. Fadal
- Number 20, D. Foulquier
- Number 6, Hugo Guillamón
- Number 17, Dani Gómez
- Number 34, Raúl Jiménez
- Number 19, Alberto Marí
- Number 27, David Otorbi
- Number 32, Martín Tejón
- Number 15, César Tárrega
- Number 5, C. Özkacar
away team, Barcelona
Manager: Hans-Dieter Flick
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Pitch Formation
1, ter Stegen, Goalkeeper
23, Koundé, Defender
2, Cubarsí, Defender
5, Martínez, Defender
3, Balde, Defender
28, Bernal, Defensive Midfielder
17, Casadó, Defensive Midfielder
19, Lamine Yamal, Attacking Midfielder
11, Raphinha, Attacking Midfielder
7, Torres, Attacking Midfielder
9, Lewandowski, Striker
Starting lineup
- Number 1, M. ter Stegen , Captain
- Number 3, Alejandro Balde , substituted for Gerard Martín at 64 minutes
- Number 5, Iñigo Martínez
- Number 2, Pau Cubarsí , Yellow Card at 45 minutes plus 2, substituted for A. Christensen at 64 minutes
- Number 23, J. Koundé , Yellow Card at 81 minutes
- Number 17, Marc Casadó
- Number 28, Marc Bernal , substituted for Eric García at 71 minutes
- Number 7, Ferran Torres , substituted for Pedri at 64 minutes
- Number 11, Raphinha
- Number 19, Lamine Yamal , substituted for Pau Víctor at 86 minutes
- Number 9, R. Lewandowski
away team, Barcelona
- Number 26, Ander Astralaga
- Number 15, A. Christensen , Yellow Card at 69 minutes
- Number 36, Sergi Domínguez
- Number 32, Héctor Fort
- Number 24, Eric García
- Number 8, Pedri
- Number 35, Gerard Martín
- Number 13, Iñaki Peña
- Number 14, Pablo Torre
- Number 29, Álex Valle
- Number 18, Pau Víctor
home team, Valencia
Manager: Rubén Baraja
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
Pitch Formation
25, Mamardashvili, Goalkeeper
12, Thierry Correia, Defender
3, Mosquera, Defender
24, Gasiorowski, Defender
21, Vázquez, Defender
11, Mir, Midfielder
18, Pepelu, Midfielder
8, Guerra, Midfielder
16, López, Midfielder
10, André Almeida, Striker
9, Duro, Striker
Starting lineup
- Number 25, G. Mamardashvili
- Number 21, Jesús Vázquez , Yellow Card at 45 minutes plus 5, substituted for Martín Tejón at 78 minutes
- Number 24, Yarek Gąsiorowski
- Number 3, Cristhian Mosquera
- Number 12, Thierry Correia
- Number 16, Diego López , substituted for D. Foulquier at 66 minutes
- Number 8, Javi Guerra , substituted for Hugo Guillamón at 86 minutes
- Number 18, Pepelu , Captain, Yellow Card at 38 minutes
- Number 11, Rafa Mir , substituted for David Otorbi at 77 minutes
- Number 9, Hugo Duro
- Number 10, André Almeida , substituted for Dani Gómez at 66 minutes
Substitutes
- Number 39, Rodrigo Abajas
- Number 13, S. Dimitrievski
- Number 28, A. Fadal
- Number 20, D. Foulquier
- Number 6, Hugo Guillamón
- Number 17, Dani Gómez
- Number 34, Raúl Jiménez
- Number 19, Alberto Marí
- Number 27, David Otorbi
- Number 32, Martín Tejón
- Number 15, César Tárrega
- Number 5, C. Özkacar
away team, Barcelona
Manager: Hans-Dieter Flick
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Pitch Formation
1, ter Stegen, Goalkeeper
23, Koundé, Defender
2, Cubarsí, Defender
5, Martínez, Defender
3, Balde, Defender
28, Bernal, Defensive Midfielder
17, Casadó, Defensive Midfielder
19, Lamine Yamal, Attacking Midfielder
11, Raphinha, Attacking Midfielder
7, Torres, Attacking Midfielder
9, Lewandowski, Striker
Starting lineup
- Number 1, M. ter Stegen , Captain
- Number 3, Alejandro Balde , substituted for Gerard Martín at 64 minutes
- Number 5, Iñigo Martínez
- Number 2, Pau Cubarsí , Yellow Card at 45 minutes plus 2, substituted for A. Christensen at 64 minutes
- Number 23, J. Koundé , Yellow Card at 81 minutes
- Number 17, Marc Casadó
- Number 28, Marc Bernal , substituted for Eric García at 71 minutes
- Number 7, Ferran Torres , substituted for Pedri at 64 minutes
- Number 11, Raphinha
- Number 19, Lamine Yamal , substituted for Pau Víctor at 86 minutes
- Number 9, R. Lewandowski
Substitutes
- Number 26, Ander Astralaga
- Number 15, A. Christensen , Yellow Card at 69 minutes
- Number 36, Sergi Domínguez
- Number 32, Héctor Fort
- Number 24, Eric García
- Number 8, Pedri
- Number 35, Gerard Martín
- Number 13, Iñaki Peña
- Number 14, Pablo Torre
- Number 29, Álex Valle
- Number 18, Pau Víctor
- Referee:
- José María Sánchez Martínez
- Video Assistant Referee:
- Javier Iglesias Villanueva
- Assistant Referee 1:
- Íñigo Prieto López de Ceraín
- Assistant Referee 2:
- Juan José López Mir
- Fourth Official:
- Jorge Díaz Escudero
- Assistant VAR Official:
- Valentín Pizarro Gómez
Match Officials
Match Stats
Key, Valencia v BarcelonaOverall Possession
Shots
Valencia 6Barcelona 18Shots on target
Valencia 2Barcelona 6Shots off target
Valencia 3Barcelona 6Blocked shots
Valencia 1Barcelona 6Total touches in the box
Valencia 13Barcelona 32Goalkeeper saves
Valencia 4Barcelona 1Fouls
Valencia 11Barcelona 13Corners
Valencia 3Barcelona 8Season so far
Spanish La Liga
Key, Valencia v Barcelona
League position, Valencia 18th, Barcelona 1stTotal points, Valencia 10, Barcelona 34
Goals scored
Valencia 12Barcelona 42Goals conceded
Valencia 19Barcelona 14Shots
Valencia 78Barcelona 169Shots on target
Valencia 36Barcelona 94Shots off target
Valencia 42Barcelona 75Blocked shots
Valencia 30Barcelona 56Passing accuracy %
Valencia 77.61Barcelona 88.05Points dropped from a winning position
Valencia 13Barcelona 2Form guide
All competitions
Valencia won
v Eintracht Frankfurt
3
2
Club Friendlies
Barcelona lose
v Monaco
0
3
Trofeo Joan Gamper
Valencia lose
v Leeds United
2
1
Club Friendlies
Barcelona draw
v AC Milan
2
2
Club Friendlies
Valencia draw
v Levante
0
0
Club Friendlies
Barcelona won
v Real Madrid
1
2
Club Friendlies
Valencia lose
v PSV
2
1
Club Friendlies
Barcelona draw
v Manchester City
2
2
Club Friendlies
Valencia lose
v Deportivo Alavés
0
1
Club Friendlies
Barcelona won
v Sevilla
1
2
Primera División
Previous meetings
All competitions
Valencia and BarcelonaValencia Won 14Barcelona Won 38Draw 19
Played
71
Previous scores
All competitions
Primera División
Barcelona 4 , Valencia 2 on the 29th of April 2024
Barcelona
Valencia
29th of April 2024
Valencia 1 , Barcelona 1 on the 16th of December 2023
Valencia
Barcelona
16th of December 2023
Barcelona 1 , Valencia 0 on the 5th of March 2023
Barcelona
Valencia
5th of March 2023