Five key stats ahead of Valencia vs Barcelona

Barcelona will be aiming to move into fourth place in the La Liga standings when they take on Valencia at the Mestalla later on Sunday.

The Catalans have slipped down to sixth place after Atletico Madrid and Villarreal picked up victories in their matches on Saturday, with Xavi Hernandez’s men three points shy of Los Rojiblancos in fourth.

A win would see them climb back up the rungs, and it bodes well for the Blaugrana that their opponents are without a win in their previous six La Liga encounters.

Ahead of this crucial encounter for Xavi & co., let’s take a look at some important stats that could have a bearing on the final outcome.

1. Barcelona have lost just once in their last 16 visits to the Mestalla with the defeat coming in January 2020 under Quique Setien (2-0).
2. While Barcelona have fared well at Mestalla in recent years, Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s track record against Valencia is a cause for concern. The German international has managed just one clean sheet in 13 games against Los Che to date.
3. It is no secret that Barcelona have suffered due to a series of injuries this season. So far, the Catalan giants have used 23 different combinations in defence in 33 official matches in all competitions. They will be forced to use a new partnership against Valencia with Dani Alves, Gerard Pique suspended and Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti injured.
4. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is yet to get going for Barcelona since arriving in January. However, the Gabonese striker has good memories of playing against Valencia, as he had scored a hat-trick on his last visit to Mestalla in May 2019 while playing for Arsenal.
5. Gavi has grown into a vital player for Barcelona in his debut season. The 17-year-old midfielder has already clocked 1892 minutes for the first team, more than what Riqui Puig (1706) and Carles Alena (1847) managed.