Valencia v Barça is one of the biggest games in Spain and this meeting brings together the defending champions and one of the strongest pretenders to the throne. Barça look to be back on track after the setback at Anoeta after dishing out an 8-0 drubbing to Osasuna. Now they start a difficult week that involves meetings on Wednesday with Valencia and Atletico Madrid on Saturday. They both promise to be gripping encounters.

Valencia: top marks so far

Unai Emery’s side could not have wished for a better start. Three out of three. They beat both Atletico Madrid and Sporting by a single goal and then came from 3-1 down against Racing to win thanks to a hat-trick from Soldado.

The situation was similar when the sides first met last season. Valencia visited the Camp Nou in game 7 as first division leaders and looked very strong in the first half, when they went ahead thanks to Pablo Hernández. Barça were back to their usual selves after the break and secured three dramatic points following goals from Iniesta and Puyol, which was one of the major turning points of the season.

Guardiola unbeaten against Emery

It is evidently never easier to play at Mestalla, but Guardiola has never lost a match as a manager there. The sides drew 2-2 in the 2008/09 to as good as win the title for Barcelona. Two years ago, they game ended 0-0 after an international break and last March, Messi latched onto a wonderful assist from Adriano to push Barça closer to a third consecutive Liga title. To add to that record, Guardiola has never lost Emery’s side at the Camp Nou either.