La Liga Preview: Despite Injury Woes, Barcelona Aims for Fourth Straight Win; Valladolid’s Struggles in Attack May Persist

On August 31 at 23:00, in the fourth round of La Liga, Barcelona will face Valladolid at home. Barcelona will strive for their fourth consecutive win to consolidate their lead, while it may be challenging for Valladolid to leave with a clean slate.

In the La Liga standings, Barcelona leads with 9 points from three wins in three matches; Valladolid has 4 points from one win, one draw, and one loss, placing them 11th in the league.

Barcelona has had a favorable start, winning all three opening rounds, making them the only team in the league with a perfect record so far. However, in these three rounds, Barcelona won each match by a narrow 2-1 scoreline, indicating that they have not had an easy time. Lewandowski is in good form, scoring three goals in the first three rounds, leading the top scorer list; the young prodigy Gavi, just 17 years old, also performed impressively with one goal and two assists, while Pedri and Olmo each scored once.

Valladolid has accumulated four points from the first three rounds, performing averagely. As newly promoted, this team might find it hard to escape the relegation battle this season. Valladolid’s attack has been weak, with only Raul Moro scoring one goal in the first three rounds.

Despite Barcelona’s clear superiority, head coach Flick remains modest, praising Valladolid’s solid defense and emphasizing the need for his team to perform well offensively, describing the match as tough.

In this match, Barcelona will be without De Jong, Garcia, Gavi, Fati, Araujo, Christensen, and Bernal due to injuries. This long list of absentees will pose significant challenges for the Blaugrana. Barcelona hopes that after the international break, Fati, De Jong, and Garcia can return promptly to alleviate the team’s immediate needs. Bernal’s situation is more severe, with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus injury in his knee, he will undergo surgery next week and faces a long-term absence. Valladolid, on the other hand, has a full squad available for selection.

In previous encounters, Barcelona holds a clear advantage with 65 wins, 16 draws, and 17 losses; at Barcelona’s home ground, they have dominated with 41 wins, 6 draws, and 2 losses against Valladolid.

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