It has been some time since Valencia considered themselves part of a La Liga title race, but it’s a situation they might well now have to deal with.
In fact, a win over leaders Barcelona on Sunday will mean they have no choice. If there was ever a time for Valencia to get one over Barça at Mestalla - you’d have to go back to 2007 for the previous occasion - then it’s now.
This latest restoration project at Valencia seems to be genuine, and while their proposed new stadium remains stagnant in its construction, on the field the team is making great waves under Marcelino Garcia Toral.
The Spanish coach will be in the stands for this one following his sending off in the win over Espanyol last weekend, but he’s very much int he thick of everything at the club since arriving. He was highly regarded following superb work at Villarreal, and Valencia has seen a continuation of his excellent abilities as a coach. Above all he’s given some organisation to a team seemingly in a permanent state of disarray.
Defensively they have more structure and solidity, stemming from goalkeeper Neto to their interchanging centre-back trio of Jeison Murrilo (who will miss this one), Ezequiel Garay and Gabriel Paulista. In midfield meanwhile they’ve often had plenty of control with Geoffrey Kondogbia proving an immense presence, while Dani Parejo steers the ship intelligently and appears to be Marcelino’s general on the field.
In attack meanwhile Simeone Zaza and Rodrigo have scored 16 goals between them in LaLiga - you throw in super-sub Santi Mina to the frontline and it’s 21. There’s a touch of youth too, with Carlos Soler, Jose Luis Gaya and Toni Lato all proving important in one way or another. There’s almost Goncalo Guedes nodding to his potential star quality while on loan from PSG.
Marcelino has knitted them all together well, and while there is no European football as a distraction it is still impressive how they’ve approached this season. They can blow you away on the counter attack, be patient and break you down or even grind out the three points. They’re confident and riding high, on eight game winning streak - something they’ve never done in their history - and have 30 points, a record total at this stage in the season for the club.
His buyout is a whopping £626M, and he will earn a reported £500,000 a week
Worth every penny
#FCB
Barcelona represent the true test however, and while other supposedly stern questions have been answered convincingly by Valencia this is a different beast altogether. Lionel Messi, celebrating his contract renewal, has been particularly fearsome in fixtures between the sides down the years with 20 goals in 33 games. It’s something Marcelino is all too aware of, and will be looking to control even though he’s watching from the stands.
“We’ll try to stop Messi from influencing the game pegging him back into the tight areas but he tends to hit form in these types of games.”
Guided by Ernesto Valverde - who had a successful with Valencia before - the Catalans arrive unbeaten and flying in all competitions. While they are not packing the flair and entertainment value of previous vintage Barca sides, they are functional and astute under the intelligent Valverde.
There has been plenty to contend with for the unassuming Valverde, a man who prefers to focus on work outside of the spotlight. In a way he seemed at odds with what Barca represents, at times a media circus, but has achieved something at one point seemed impossible - stability. Neymar left, court cases rumbled on, there was a political situation and general fury at the board continues to whirl. Valverde however has done what he was brought in to do however, and get on with his job.
In pure coaching terms he’s one of the best, and as a person even better. Trophies are perhaps all that is missing for Valverde, but even they may be in his grasp soon enough.
Valencia however, who he saved from the brink in his time at the club, may prove to be an unlikely obstacle to those aspirations. They have their own and while they may not like to admit it, Sunday’s game at Mestalla is an early title decider.
Valencia take on Barcelona in La Liga on Sunday 26th November (Kick-Off 7.45pm BST).
