Valencia vs Barcelona La Liga Matchday 21 Odds & Pick: Over 2.5 Goals Has Cashed in 4 of 5 Meetings
- Valencia host Barcelona this Saturday at Mestalla Stadium
- Barca have won the last seven La Liga meetings against their Spanish rivals
- Get the odds, picks, and betting preview below
Joint league-leaders Barcelona will travel to Valencia this Saturday, January 25, kick-off at 10:00 am EST, looking to continue their winning ways against their La Liga counterparts. When these two sides last met in October, Barca demolished Valencia by a score of 5-2 behind Luis Suarez’s double.
Both teams played on Wednesday in the Copa del Rey, so they will be on short rest heading into Saturday’s clash. Quique Setien’s side beat Ibiza 2-1 on a late goal, while Valencia defeated UD Logrones 1-0. Barca and Valencia will both advance to the Copa del Rey round of 16. Quique Setien will be hungry to continue to his winning streak since taking over at Barcelona just a couple weeks ago.
Valencia vs Barcelona Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valencia | +0.5, +1 (+104) | +350 | Ov 3 (-118) |
| Barcelona | -0.5, -1 (-124) | -152 | Un 3 (-102) |
| Draw | N/A | +310 | N/A |
Odds taken Jan 22.
By no surprise, Barca enters this match as clear favorites with -152 odds. Valencia has won just once in their last ten meetings with the Catalans, beating them last May in the Copa del Rey final. But after losing 5-2 on the road in October, Albert Celades’ side will be looking for redemption against the Spanish giants on home soil.
Barca Looking to Continue Good Form
Even after losing Luis Suarez to a knee injury, Barcelona has still been putting up respectable results as of late, currently tied with Real Madrid with 43 points at the top of La Liga. They are unbeaten in their last five league matches, winning twice and drawing three times. They’ve struggled to score goals since Suarez suffered an injury, but with Messi always able to create magic in the final third, they should be able to find enough goals within their squad.
They have dominated Valencia over the last number of matches between the two sides, winning six times, drawing three, and losing just once in the Copa del Rey last May. When it comes to playing at Mestalla Stadium, Quique Setien’s side hasn’t lost in Valencia since 2007.
Barca has scored a league-best 50 goals this term, so they will be looking to continue their torrid form in front of goal. But with their star striker out, Antoine Griezmann and Leo Messi will need to start bagging goals at a higher rate in place of Suarez.
Valencia Hoping to Break Streak Against Barca
Valencia has been in wonderful form on home soil, losing just once in their last 23 fixtures at Mestalla Stadium. But when it comes to playing Spanish giants Barcelona at home, they have struggled. In their last 12 matches at Mestalla against Barca, they have tied seven times and lost five. Their last victory when hosting Barcelona was over 12 years ago. Valencia has also failed to win against Barca in their last seven La Liga fixtures, losing numerous close matches in the process.
Los Che is fresh off a disappointing 4-1 defeat against Real Mallorca last weekend, so they really need a positive result this weekend as they currently sit seventh in the table. But the good news is that just four points separate them and fourth-place Sevilla, so there is still an array of hope that they can still make a push for the top four.
Celades’ side will be without midfield mainstay Daniel Parejo, who is serving a suspension. He’s proved to be an important piece to their squad this term, scoring six goals in 19 league starts. Striker Rodrigo is also injured, which is a huge blow for Celades. They will be looking to Uruguayan striker and leading goal-scorer Maxi Gomez to create havoc on the attack as they seek a much-awaited victory against the current La Liga leaders.
Valencia vs Barcelona Stats
| 8-7-5 (7th in La Liga) | Standing | 13-4-3 (1st in La Liga) |
| 30 | Goals Scored | 50 |
| 29 | Goals Conceded | 23 |
| 2-2-1 | Record in Last Five Matches | 2-3-0 |
Barca is Best Bet
Given Barcelona’s rejuvenated form under Setien and their dominance against Valencia in recent fixtures, they should come out victorious in Saturday’s clash. They have run riot on the road against the reigning Copa del Rey champions and will continue to do so this weekend. Both sides have combined to score over 2.5 goals in the last four out of five meetings. This pattern has a very good chance of continuing, with Barca defeating Valencia by one goal in this Matchday 21 fixture.
Pick: Barca 2-1
Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
