Three talking points ahead of Valencia vs Barcelona | La Liga MD 38 | OneFootball

FC Barcelona’s final game of the current season sees them travel to face off against Valencia away from home at Mestalla – a ground that brings back relatively pleasant memories.

After all, the Catalans have lost to them only once in their last seven games across all competitions with Valencia as the designated host.

Already crowned champions, Barcelona do not have a whole lot to play for on the night beyond the fact that Hansi Flick will hope to close the season with a win. 

It has, after all, been a special season for the Blaugrana domestically and the upcoming game signals the end of the campaign.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Valencia vs Barcelona.

Ending on a high note

Tomorrow’s clash could have been a special one for Barcelona if they had won their game against Deportivo Alaves earlier in the month, as it would have kept them on track for 100 points in La Liga.

Now, however, the maximum the team can secure is 97 points and that will be the objective when the team takes to the field against Valencia at Mestalla.

The ongoing season has largely been a positive one for the Catalans as they won both the Spanish Super Cup and the domestic league quite convincingly. The fact that Real Madrid went trophy-less only made that result sweeter. 

Earlier this week, the team met over dinner to celebrate a campaign well played on a domestic level, and it is clear that they largely consider the campaign to be over.

Yet, finishing on a high is almost essential after such a dominant league performance, and Flick will be keen for his side to show the energy and hunger as they look to sign off on the ongoing season.

A chance to rotate?

A chance for youngsters to shine? (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Barcelona had a lot to play for against Real Betis at the Spotify Camp Nou in their last game despite already being crowned champions – and the situation had a lot to do with their special record at home this season being on the line.

As they travel away from home for the final game of the season, however, there is suddenly not much motivation left to play at the highest level on the night. After all, a win or a loss against Valencia will not affect Barcelona in any way.

In that sense, the occasion becomes perfect for Barcelona and Flick to hand out minutes to academy players and rotation names who have not seen much prominence this season.

The likes of Alvaro Cortes, Alejandro Balde, Xavi Espart, Roony Bardghi, and others, thus, may well see starts on the night. Their performance against Valencia may thus dictate their place in the team next season to a large extent.

Concurrently, the night will also be special for a few players like Joao Cancelo and Marcus Rashford who are on loan but whose continuity is not guaranteed.

A Zamora and a Zarra on the line

As the champions of La Liga with three match-days to spare, Barcelona made a massive statement of their domestic dominance earlier this month.

Along with the collective accolades, however, several Barcelona players are in contention for individual awards – and the Zamora Trophy and Zarra Trophy are prime examples.

For starters, Joan Garcia is the clear favourite for the Zamora Trophy at this point. Even if the Spaniard does not play a part tomorrow, he is guaranteed to win that award. Only a disastrous showing after starting could dent his hopes at this point.

The Zarra Trophy, meanwhile, is handed to the Spanish player with the most league goals and Barcelona have two primary leaders on that front – Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal.

Torres and Yamal have each scored 16 goals in La Liga this season and are the current frontrunners for the award. Their nearest competition is Mikel Oyarzabal who has 15 goals in La Liga.

It thus remains to be seen if Flick prioritises Ferran’s title or Lewandowski’s departure at this point and who he hands the start on the special part.