Valencia are in the midst of a major technical crisis ahead of the two summits against Barcelona and Chelsea in the Spanish league and Champions League after successive sacking of coach Marcelino Garcia Toral last Wednesday.
Barcelona hope to make the most of this crisis to correct their situation in the league, and seize the three points during the game of the fourth round of the Primera Liga today.
Marcelino has been sacked and replaced by former Barcelona, Real Madrid and Spain midfielder Albert Celades, who is battling at the Camp Nou.
The dismissal of 54-year-old Marcelino by Singaporean owner Peter Lim revealed that they had differences within a team that the coach had revived since his appointment in 2017. Marcelino, who has won two consecutive Champions League runners-up, led fourth in La Liga in the last two years and last season's Spanish Cup title. At the expense of Barcelona, in his first title in 11 years.
The former Sevilla and Villarreal coach criticized the club's summer transfer policy, including his attempts to sell international striker Rodrigo Moreno to Atletico Madrid. Rodrigo eventually stayed at Valencia, as Marcelino did in the first three games of the season.
But with four points out of nine possible, including a 2-0 win over Mallorca before the international break, the coach was sacked as the team prepare for two of their most important games of the season.
After today's game, Valencia will travel to London to face Europa League champions Chelsea in the first round of Group H of the Champions League, which includes Ajax Amsterdam and Lille.
However, Barcelona are no different from Valencia, where coach Ernesto Valverde has a problem in terms of results, having collected only four points from three stages in the absence of the Argentine captain Lionel Messi.
The Catalans have been hit hard by the absence of Messi, Uruguayan Luis Suarez and Frenchman Osman Dembele due to injury. While the flea has not played a minute so far after being injured in the first training session after the summer break, Suarez and Dembele participated in only the first game that the Catalan club lost to Athletic Bilbao (0-1).
Only Suarez is qualified for the game at Barcelona's Camp Nou, while Messi and Dembele continue to miss.
The Catalan club hit hard in the second phase by beating Real Betis (5-2), but stumbled again with a draw with Osasuna 2-2 in the third phase, and therefore will seek to exploit the ground and the public to restore the path of victories and rehabilitated for losing the Cup final last season against Valencia, Before his trip to Dortmund to face Borussia in the first round of Group F competitions in the continental competition.
Barcelona are counting on a series of victories at home, which amounted to eight, but the task will not be easy against Valencia, who was the last team that came out a point from Camp Nou during the two teams in February (2-2).
Leaders Atletico Madrid are away to Real Sociedad and are eyeing their next home game against Juventus in Group D of the Champions League.
Hazard's first appearance with Real
MADRID: Real Madrid are hoping to stop bleeding points and return to victories when they host Levante on Wednesday before their trip to the French capital to face PSG on Wednesday at the start of their Champions League campaign.
Despite the absence, Real will be boosted by the first official appearance of new star Eden Hazard, who missed earlier stages due to injury. But the Royal, who started the season with a precious win away from the bases at the expense of Celta Vigo before falling to a draw in the draw against Valladolid and Villarreal, is facing the confrontation in the absence of many of the stars, including the suspended Welsh Gareth Bale.
Croatia's Luka Modric has joined Isco and Marco Asensio on the bench after suffering a muscle injury to his side in the Euro 2008 qualifiers.