With the tie virtually sealed, Barcelona will look to add a bit more dominance to the final scoreline when they visit the Mestalla to play Valencia in the semifinal second leg of the Copa Del Rey.
Valencia had an evening to forget in the first leg at the Camp Nou, as Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez ran wild, scoring seven goals between them without an answer. The 7-0 first leg win means Barcelona have as good as entered the final of the competition they are defending, with this second leg a mere formality.
Considering the tie is all but over, Luis Enrique might consider resting some of his main men, chief of them being Messi, who missed training in the last couple of days in order to undergo tests over the kidney problem he had at the Club World Cup late last year.
A statement from Barcelona said Messi would return to training on Wednesday, and when asked about the Argentine's condition, Enrique refused to elaborate.
"I believe there is a statement from the club which explains it," Enrique was quoted as saying by ESPN FC. "From there the information is about a patient and is private. I have no comment to make."
With or without Messi, the result is not in doubt regarding this tie.
A win for Valencia, though, regardless of the final aggregate scoreline, would be a welcome relief to Gary Neville, who is under severe pressure to produce results after his side suffered another defeat in the La Liga at the weekend. Neville has been tipped for the sack after failing to win any of his last nine games, but the former Manchester United defender is not ready to throw in the towel yet.
"I have faith in myself and the players and the only thing to turn this around is to win games," Neville, who is under severe pressure to produce results, was quoted as saying by The Guardian. "I know you want to ask me about my job, my future, but I just want to focus on football, on [the Barcelona] game."
However, Neville does realise that this match pretty much done, and as a result, he might also decide to rest a few of his players, in order to be better equipped for the more important La Liga match against Espanyol at the weekend.
"Last week was unacceptable," Neville added, referring to the 7-0 drubbing. "But what I can see is that last Wednesday was a massive accident. That was a freak match. [In the second leg] we must have a positive mentality, we must put in a huge effort and play and battle.
"Saturday's game against Espanyol is fundamental. That must be taken into account when picking the team. I must prioritise Saturday's game."
Where to Watch Live
Valencia vs Barcelona second leg is scheduled for a 9 pm local time (1.30 am IST, 8 pm GMT, 3 pm ET) start. The Copa Del Rey semifinal match will not be shown live on TV in India.
Canal+, Abono Futbol and MovistarTV Futbol will broadcast the second leg between Barcelona and Valencia live in Spain.
Bein Sports will provide live coverage of the game in France, Middle East, North Africa, US and Canada, with the online live streaming option on beIN Sports Connect.
Viewers in the China, Hong Kong and the UK can watch the semifinal second leg live on La Liga TV Copa.
