Xavi will announce his choice to stay at Barcelona on Monday when the reigning La Liga champions take on Valencia as the season nears its end. Barcelona have a chance to retain second place as they are currently one point behind Girona. The match could also be a final chance to stay in the title race, however unlikely they are to win La Liga for a second year in a row. They go into the match 14 points behind Real Madrid, who could well win the league in the coming weeks even if Barcelona win. As for solid mid-table Valencia, they can rise to seventh place with a surprise win over Barcelona.
Here’s what you need to know before you tune in.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Monday April 29 | Time: 3:00 PM ET
- Place: Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys – Barcelona, Spain
- Live stream ESPN+
- Chances: Barcelona-320; Sign +430; Valencia +700
Storylines
The atmosphere of uncertainty surrounding Barcelona in recent months has officially been lifted, with Xavi staying on as manager, three months after deciding to leave and following a campaign by the club’s senior players to convince him to stay.
The period between Xavi’s big decisions was surprisingly optimistic at Barcelona, where they went unbeaten for thirteen games until consecutive losses to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and Real Madrid in La Liga. A trophyless season is as much a reality as it was in January when Xavi announced his departure, but the unbeaten run has put Barcelona’s promising youngsters such as Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi in the spotlight. Perhaps the belief is that with a youth-oriented approach, a team can build a bright future with little money.
That strategy will likely come into play against Valencia, when Barcelona’s youngsters are expected to once again outdo their veterans. That said, their more experienced players have been more than useful: Raphinha has scored three goals in the team’s last five games, while Andreas Christensen has scored two, and Ferran Lopez is a week away from scoring in El Clásico. The talent on display is certainly enough to make Xavi mark his choice to stay with a win and a stable end to the season.
Prediction
This is Barcelona’s game to lose and given the players on the staff, they will likely find a way to win with relative ease. Choose: Barcelona2, Valencia0
