Valencia and Barcelona are set for an intense Copa del Rey quarter-final showdown on Thursday night, with both sides hungry for a spot in the semi-finals. Barcelona enters the match with high confidence after a commanding 7-1 win over Valencia in their recent La Liga encounter, but Los Che will look to turn the tables at home.
Valencia, struggling in La Liga, sits dangerously close to relegation, currently four points adrift of safety. The club has only won four of their 22 league matches this season, and their main priority is survival. However, Carlos Corberan has steered Valencia to two victories in their last two home matches, including a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo. Now, with the Copa del Rey being their most realistic opportunity for silverware, Valencia aims to cause an upset and secure their eighth cup win.
Barcelona has been in excellent form in 2025, winning seven of their last seven competitive matches, including lifting the Spanish Super Cup. The Blaugrana will aim to continue their Copa del Rey campaign after dominating their previous encounters against Barbastro and Real Betis, as well as a 1-0 victory over Alaves. Their remarkable form has been key to their top position in the Champions League, and Barcelona will look to add another Copa del Rey title to their trophy cabinet.
In terms of head-to-head encounters, Barcelona has dominated recently, winning four of the last five meetings at Mestalla, including a 2-1 win in August. Despite a dominant 7-1 thrashing in the last encounter, Valencia will hope that home advantage can help them keep the scoreline closer this time.
Team News and Lineups
Valencia will be missing right-back Thierry Correia due to a long-term ACL injury. Other key players like Dimitri Folquier and Enzo Barrenechea will need to overcome recent knocks to feature in the match. Backup goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski is expected to start.
For Barcelona, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Marc Bernal are sidelined with knee injuries, and Andreas Christensen is out with a calf issue. Dani Olmo is also recovering from injury and could be available for selection. Gavi’s fitness is still being monitored following a head collision in their 1-0 win over Alaves.
Valencia’s Possible Lineup: Dimitrievski; Foulquier, Tarrega, Mosquera, Gaya; Guerra, Barrenechea; Lopez, Almeida, Rioja; Duro
Barcelona’s Possible Lineup: Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, Garcia, Balde; Pedri, De Jong, Fermin; Yamal, Raphinha, Lewandowski
Match Prediction:
Despite Valencia's home advantage, Barcelona’s attacking power will likely be too much for Los Che to handle. A 3-1 win for Barcelona seems the most probable outcome, as their quality in attack, led by Robert Lewandowski, should see them through to the semi-finals.Don't miss out on the latest updates and in-depth analysis of top clubs!
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