Valencia and Barcelona will both be aiming for a spot in the Copa del Rey semi-finals when they face off in Thursday's quarter-final showdown.
This encounter comes less than two weeks after Barcelona’s dominant 7-1 win over Valencia at Estadi Olympic Lluis Companys in a La Liga clash.
Valencia's top priority remains securing their top-flight status, as the club is currently in danger of facing relegation for the first time since the 1985-86 season.
Sitting four points adrift of safety in 19th place, Los Che have managed just four wins, seven draws, and 11 losses in their 22 league games this season.
Under manager Carlos Corberan, Valencia has seen some improvement, with two wins in his five league games at the helm. Both victories came in Valencia’s last two home games, including a narrow 2-1 win over Celta Vigo on Sunday, thanks to goals from Luis Rioja and Javi Guerra.
Corberan has also overseen two Copa del Rey wins, with Valencia defeating Eldense and Ourense 2-0 in his two matches in charge. This came after his predecessor, Ruben Baraja, guided the team to victories over Parla Escuela and Ejea.
Now, Valencia are preparing for their first encounter against top-flight opposition in this year's Copa del Rey, hoping to pull off an upset to keep their dreams of winning the cup alive for the eighth time, and the first since the 2018-19 season.
However, Valencia will face a tough challenge, as they haven’t beaten Barcelona since a 2-0 victory at home in January 2020.
Barcelona have been in excellent form in 2025, winning seven and drawing two of their last nine competitive matches since a 2-1 loss to Atletico Madrid in their final game of 2024.
During their unbeaten run, they’ve secured the Spanish Super Cup, defeated Barbastro and Real Betis in the Copa del Rey, and finished top of their Champions League group, taking four points from their final two league phase games.
In La Liga, Barcelona have earned seven points from their last three games, drawing 1-1 with Getafe before taking maximum points in home matches against Valencia and Alaves.
Although Barcelona thrashed Valencia 7-1 in their last encounter, they were made to work harder in their most recent outing, securing a 1-0 win over Alaves on Sunday. Robert Lewandowski's 30th goal of the season kept Barcelona within four points of leaders Real Madrid.
Now, Barcelona will shift their focus from La Liga to their third consecutive Copa del Rey quarter-final. The Blaugrana are determined to keep their hopes of winning the competition alive for a record 32nd time, aiming for their first Copa del Rey title since the 2020-21 season.
Barcelona have had strong results in recent trips to Mestalla, winning four of their last five away games against Valencia, including a 2-1 victory in their last visit in August.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Valencia will still be without right-back Thierry Correia, who remains sidelined for an extended period after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in October.
Dimitri Folquier has been ruled out due to a muscle injury, while Enzo Barrenechea and Diego Lopez will be hoping to recover from some discomfort they experienced following the win over Celta.
Backup goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski is expected to start in place of Giorgi Mamardashvili, having featured in all four of Valencia's cup matches.
For Barcelona, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Marc Bernal continue to be unavailable due to knee injuries, while Andreas Christensen is sidelined with a calf problem.
Dani Olmo is working to prove his fitness ahead of Thursday's match, after missing the last four games due to injury.
Gavi is still being closely monitored after suffering a head injury in Sunday's win over Alaves, leaving his availability for the quarter-final uncertain.
Manager Flick may opt to make a few changes to the side that defeated Alaves, with Eric Garcia, Frenkie de Jong, and Fermin Lopez all vying for starting spots.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Valencia possible starting lineup:
Dimitrievski; Aarons, Tarrega, Mosquera, Gaya; Guerra, Barrenchea; Lopez, Almeida, Rioja; Sadiq
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, Garcia, Balde; Pedri, De Jong, Fermin; Yamal, Raphinha, Lewandowski
EXPERT PREDICTION
Valencia 1-2 Barcelona
