FC Barcelona plays this Saturday the match corresponding to matchday 34 of LaLiga EA Sports, with five games left until the end of the championship and maintaining their four-point lead over Real Madrid. Atlético, still ten points behind the leaders, effectively bowed out of the title race a couple of weeks ago.
The Culés return to LaLiga action after clinching the Copa del Rey title against Real Madrid (3-2) and a vibrant draw against Inter Milan in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals (3-3). With only 72 hours before the second leg against the 'Nerazzurri', Hansi Flick is expected to opt for a completely new starting XI at the José Zorrilla.
- 📺 Schedules and TV: when and where to watch the match live in Spain, Europe, America, Africa and Asia: VIEW
Currently, the team remains undefeated in the second half of the LaLiga season with 12 wins and 2 draws (1-1 against Getafe and Betis), meaning they are practically just 2 more victories away from securing their 28th title in the Spanish First Division. The first step needs to be taken against an already relegated and demoralized Valladolid, following their disastrous second half of the season.
Barça, conversely, looks to capitalize on the Pucelanos' crisis to gain three more points, putting them on the verge of clinching the championship next week at Montjuïc, in El Clásico against Madrid (Sunday 11th at 21:00). In between, they must conclude their Champions League tie against Inter on Tuesday the 6th.
Is Barça arriving tired? Analysis of their form for matchday 34
In this regard, the Azulgrana team arrives physically drained after 120 high-intensity minutes against Real Madrid in the Copa final and a vibrant Champions League match at Montjuïc against the reigning Italian champions. The first leg of the semi-final resulted in an injury to Jules Koundé, who joins Alejandro Balde, Robert Lewandowski, Marc Casadó, and Marc Bernal on the injury list.
Before the Copa final, Hansi Flick implemented heavy rotations in the home match against Mallorca (1-0). A second-half goal from Dani Olmo secured the three points for the Culés, who, on the previous matchday, had mounted an incredible comeback against Celta (4-3). A week prior, the Catalans also struggled to secure a win at Butarque against Leganés (0-1).
FC Barcelona's Last 5 LaLiga Matches
- 🟢 (W) 1-0 vs Mallorca at Montjuïc (Matchday 33)
- 🟢 (W) 4-3 vs Celta at Montjuïc (Matchday 32)
- 🟢 (W) 0-1 vs Leganés at Butarque (Matchday 31)
- 🟡 (D) 1-1 vs Betis at Montjuïc (Matchday 30)
- 🟢 (W) 4-1 vs Girona at Montjuïc (Matchday 29)
In the first half of the season, Barça thrashed Valladolid 7-0 at Montjuïc on matchday 4. This marked the first major showcase performance by the Azulgrana side in the 24-25 season, a celebratory afternoon featuring goals from Raphinha (hat-trick), Lewandowski, Olmo, Koundé, and Ferran Torres. Of these goalscorers, only 'The Shark' (Ferran Torres) is expected to play this Saturday.
Valladolid, conversely, enters matchday 34 with 7 consecutive defeats and 13 losses in their last 14 matches. The Pucelano team is the only one already doomed to return to Segunda División, a performance worse than that of Almería and Granada in the 23-24 season (who finished with 21 points).
The 'Albivioletas' have only accumulated 16 points, with 15 remaining available, meaning they no longer have a mathematical chance of avoiding relegation. Alavés (17th) sits on 34 points, a couple more than Las Palmas and 4 ahead of Leganés – the other two teams currently in the relegation zone alongside the team from José Zorrilla.
Valladolid's Last 5 LaLiga Matches
- 🔴 (L) 5-1 vs Betis in Seville (Matchday 33)
- 🔴 (L) 2-3 vs Osasuna in Valladolid (Matchday 32)
- 🔴 (L) 4-2 vs Atlético in Madrid (Matchday 31)
- 🔴 (L) 0-4 vs Getafe in Valladolid (Matchday 30)
- 🔴 (L) 2-1 vs Real Sociedad at Anoeta (Matchday 29)
Barça aims for their 14th league rout to get one step closer to the title
The thrashing of Valladolid was the first of 13 large-margin victories achieved by Barcelona so far in LaLiga this season. Villarreal (1-5), Girona (1-4 and 4-1), Alavés (0-3), Sevilla (5-1 and 1-4), Real Madrid (0-4), Mallorca (1-5), Valencia (7-1), Real Sociedad (4-0), Atlético (2-4) and Osasuna (3-0) have also suffered heavy defeats against the Culés.
The 7-0 against the Pucelanos and the 7-1 against Valencia remain, for now, the most decisive victories achieved by Flick's side across all competitions. Barça is the top-scoring team in Europe's top five leagues with 89 goals in 33 matchdays, and they also lead the Champions League (with 40 goals) in terms of attacking output.
Furthermore, in the second half of the league season, Barça has secured 38 out of a possible 42 points. Playing away, the team hasn't lost since matchday 13 against Real Sociedad (1-0), with their only other away defeat coming earlier against Osasuna (4-2). Celta (2-2), Betis (2-2), and Getafe (1-1) were the only opponents who managed to avoid defeat against the Catalans at their respective home grounds during the 24-25 season.
Therefore, Flick's side has recorded 11 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses away from home so far in LaLiga. In the final stretch of the competition, following El Clásico, Barcelona will travel to face Espanyol (Matchday 36) and Athletic Bilbao (Matchday 38), probably with the league title already secured. In between, they will host Villarreal (Matchday 37). These are three opponents Barça already defeated in the first half of the season.
- 📋 Squad List: Barcelona's squad list for the match: VIEW
Golden opportunity for the substitutes: Hansi Flick will field a new-look XI in Valladolid
To secure the three points at the José Zorrilla, Hansi Flick will seize the opportunity to give minutes to the majority of his bench players. The major news is the expected return of Ter Stegen in goal, marking his first appearance since suffering a serious injury back in late September against Villarreal (Matchday 6).
Another player expected to be in the starting lineup is Andreas Christensen. The Dane played his first minutes since his LaLiga debut against Valencia (Matchday 1 in August) during Wednesday's Champions League match and looks set to partner Ronald Araujo in central defense. Héctor Fort and Gerard Martín are expected to fill in as full-backs, given the injuries to Koundé and Balde.
In midfield, Eric García is expected to play as the holding midfielder, with Gavi and Fermín López positioned further forward. Others hoping for a return to the starting XI include Ansu Fati and Pablo Torre. The 'number 10' (Ansu Fati) started against Mallorca, whereas the Cantabrian (Pablo Torre) hasn't featured since the big win against Osasuna (coming on as a late substitute). Ferran Torres is expected to lead the line again as the '9', although Pau Víctor's inclusion is also a possibility.
- ℹ️ Lineups: The possible starting XIs for FC Barcelona and Valladolid: VIEW
Valladolid looks to bid farewell to LaLiga with dignity
Álvaro Rubio's side, with only pride left to play for, seeks to conclude a forgettable season back in the top flight with some dignity. The Pucelanos have managed just 4 wins and 4 draws in 33 matches, a record that effectively ended their hopes of survival as early as February.
Indeed, the team is on track to record one of the worst second halves of any LaLiga season, with just one draw in 14 matches. Valladolid earned 15 points in the first half of the campaign, and had they maintained similar form in 2025, they would still have had a chance to avoid relegation.
The Albivioleta's last victory dates back to January 11th on Matchday 19 (1-0 against Betis). Diego Cocca, who had been appointed manager in December, was dismissed in February after overseeing 7 losses in the 8 games he managed, a run that included a Copa del Rey third-round defeat to Segunda RFEF side Ourense (3-2).
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