Valencia will be bidding to halt a five-game losing run in Spain's top flight on Saturday evening when they welcome high-flying Real Sociedad to Mestalla.
Los Che are currently 19th in the table, two points from the safety of 17th position, while Real Sociedad sit third, six points ahead of fifth-placed Real Betis in the race for the top four.
Match preview
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There is still a lot of football to be played before the end of the campaign, but Valencia are in deep trouble in La Liga, and it would be one of the all-time stories in Spain's top flight if they were relegated this season.
Los Che are six-time Spanish champions, while they have not played outside of La Liga since the 1986-87 campaign, finishing fourth at the top level as recently as 2018-19.
A disastrous campaign to date has seen Valencia pick up just 20 points from 22 matches, though, which has left them in 19th position in the table, boasting a record of five wins, five draws and 12 defeats.
Valencia are only two points from the safety of 17th position, but they are currently on a run of five straight losses, including a 1-0 defeat at Getafe on Monday night, while the team have not been victorious in the league since a 3-0 success over Real Betis on November 10.
Ruben Baraja was appointed head coach on February 14 and will certainly be aware of the size of the task, especially as Valencia's next two matches are against two of the best three teams in the division, according to the table at least, in the shape of Real Sociedad and Barcelona.
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Real Sociedad have their eyes firmly on a top-four spot this season, currently sitting third in the table, two points ahead of fourth-placed Atletico Madrid and six clear of Real Betis in fifth.
The Basque outfit have only won one of their last four in the league, though, which has allowed Real Madrid to pull clear in second, with Los Blancos now eight points clear of the team directly behind them.
Real Sociedad will enter this match off the back of a 1-1 draw with Celta Vigo last Saturday, with an own goal from Robin Le Normand in the 93rd minute preventing Imanol Alguacil's side from claiming all three points.
The White and Blues have not claimed a top-four spot in La Liga since 2012-13, finishing sixth, fifth and sixth in their last three campaigns, so it would be a highly-successful campaign if they were able to finish in the Champions League positions.
Real Sociedad have the third-best away form in La Liga this season, picking up 25 points from 11 matches, but they have not beaten Valencia in Spain's top flight since February 2020, with each of the last four league meetings being drawn, including a 1-1 in the reverse game earlier this term.
Team News
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Valencia will have Samu Castillejo back from suspension for this match, but Edinson Cavani, Thierry Correia, Nico Gonzalez and Jaume Domenech remain on the sidelines through injury.
Hugo Guillamon is likely to be introduced into the starting side for this match, but Baraja is expected to resist the temptation to make wholesale changes to the team that started against Getafe.
Hugo Duro should again lead the line for Los Che, with Samuel Lino potentially being the player to drop out to allow Castillejo to come into the team.
As for Real Sociedad, a lengthy injury list still includes Aritz Elustondo, David Silva, Jon Pacheco, Mohamed Ali-Cho, Andoni Gorosabel, Sadiq Umar and Martin Merquelanz.
Alguacil will therefore have a similar squad available to the one from last weekend, and it is expected to be an almost identical starting XI.
The only change could come in central midfield, where Mikel Merino is pushing to replace Asier Illarramendi, with Oyarzabal again set to be joined by Takefusa Kubo and Alexander Sorloth in the final third of the field.
Valencia possible starting lineup:
Mamardashvili; Foulquier, Paulista, Diakhaby, Gaya; Guillamon, Almeida, Musah; Kluivert, Duro, Castillejo
Real Sociedad possible starting lineup:
Remiro; Barrenetxea, Zubeldia, Le Normand, Rico; Zubimendi, Mendez, Merino; Kubo, Sorloth, Oyarzabal
We say: Valencia 2-2 Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad have won eight of their 11 away league matches this season, drawing just once, but we just have a feeling that Valencia could secure a share of the spoils here. Los Che's losing run is going to end at some stage, and an entertaining contest at Mestalla could finish in a high-scoring draw.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
