Both FC Barcelona and Valencia kick off their Champions League campaigns away from home against difficult rivals today night just four days after Barcelona beat Valencia 5-2 in the Camp Nou stadium on Saturday .
Luis Suarez came off the bench for Barca after four weeks out with injury to score two late goals in Saturday’s win and Barca boss Ernesto Valverde has to decide whether to risk him from the start against Borussia Dortmund.
Suarez looked sharp, but with Leo Messi still recovering from the calf injury which has sidelined him at the start of the campaign, Valverde won’t want to take too many risks with Suarez.
16 year-old Ansu Fati and B-team forward Carles Perez have both impressed while Suarez and Messi have been out and Valverde will have to decide whether to continue with the youngsters or to look for the experience of player such as Sergi Roberto or Ivan Rakitic in what is arguably their toughest game of the group.
Borussia will count on former Barca striker Paco Alcacer and the Spain international will be keen to show what Barca are missing after he struggled to make an impact at the Camp Nou as his first touch style of striker failed to gel with Barca’s more drawn out passing game.
Valencia impressed for a period in the first half in the Camp Nou, but the club is still rocked by the sacking of coach Marcelino Garcia Toral and his replacement by the inexperienced (at club level at least) Albert Celades.
Chelsea will provide a stiff test for Valencia’s resolve with the side coached by Frank Lampard starting to impress in the Premier League.
The loss of players such as Eden Hazard and David Luiz has cost Chelsea European experience and Lampard has never coached in Europe either, but young striker Tammy Abraham has rapidly adapted to the Premier League, where he has netted seven goals in four appearances, while Mason Mount’s midfield displays have seen him score three goals and earn a call up into the last England squad.
A positive result for Celades would help pour some oil on Valencia’s troubled waters, but a second defeat will only increase the tension at the club and the frustration among fans.
Real Madrid travel to play Paris Saint Germain on Wednesday while Atletico Madrid face Juventus in arguably the most interesting tie of the week.
