Barcelona are out to make up for their Champions League disappointment be securing a domestic double when they meet Valencia in tonight's Copa del Rey final.
Not many clubs can secure a league title and still have their season deemed a failure. But Barca could achieve that, with their stunning Champions League capitulation against Liverpool overshadowing their LaLiga triumph which saw them finish 11 points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid.
Ernesto Valverde’s future at the Camp Nou is under scrutiny as a result, and defeat to Los Che this weekend could seal his fate.
This is a competition Barcelona have dominated, however, winning it more than any other club in Spain.
They are chasing a fifth consecutive triumph tonight, with Valencia in their first final in 11 years.
Game info
Competition/Round: 2018-19 Copa del Rey, Final
Date/Time: Saturday, May 25, 2019, 9pm CET (Barcelona), 8pm BST/WAT (UK & Nigeria), 3pm ET, 12pm PT (USA), 12.30am IST (India, Sunday)
Venue: Estadio Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain
Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco
How to watch on TV: ESPN Deportes (USA), Canal+ Sport 1 (Nigeria), TVE La1 (Spain), others
Match odds:
Barcelona: 3/10
Valencia: 5/2
Team news
Luis Suarez will miss the final having undergone knee surgery days after his side’s 4-0 defeat to former side Liverpool.
The Uruguay international, who has 25 goals in 49 appearances this season, will have no role to play with doubts also over Ousmane Dembele, Arthur and Nelson Semedo.
Semedo was taken to hospital after a clash of heads in the final league game of the season against Eibar with the club confirming this week “his return to training will be monitored” ahead of the weekend.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen is still experiencing discomfort in his knee, with Jasper Cillessen Valverde's cup goalkeeper regardless.
Philppe Coutinho has returned to training however and will be in contention to start, along with Arturo Vidal with Arthur unlikely to be fit.
Ezequiel Garay meanwhile has returned to training for Valencia after his recent hamstring injury.
Possible XI:
Barcelona (4-3-3): Cillessen; Roberto, Pique, Lenglet, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Vidal; Malcom, Messi, Coutinho.
Valencia (4-4-2): Doménech; Piccini, Garay, Gabriel, Gayá; Coquelin, Parejo, Kondogbia, Guedes; Rodrigo, Gameiro
Score prediction
Barcelona 2-1 Valencia
Moomin17
4076
What makes me sad about Barcelona is not just the champions league elimination, rather the fact that we played avarege almost the whole season, the football was boring and unbearable at times.The only matches that i remember us actualy playing well, playing a football that was enjoyable to watch and winning and not losing were:Tottenham away (UCL), Real Madrid home (La Liga), Inter Milan away (UCL), Espanyol away (La Liga), Levante home (CDR), Sevilla home (CDR), Lyon away (UCL). What makes me sad is that every time Barcelona plays you don't see the football that made us great. For example in 2015/16, we didn't win the champions League, but almost the whole season we would get entertained even if we lost or won, you always new that Barcelona will dominate the ball you always new Barcelona would create chances it was a great season, even when we got knocked out by Atlético, we lost by playing our way, we lost but we didn't give the image of ridicule that we gave in Paris, Turin, Rome and Anfield. What makes me sad is the fact that i am not even excited to watch Barcelona play tomorrow, even if we win, we all don't even know if it will be good performance or entertaining unlike before you always knew that We will play well.
Jattfanmessida
257
I bet Valencia will be champions and I will be happiest person on 🌎 I promise my friends to party after Barca defeat
kusbdlnru
188
valverge out valverge out so if barca loose to make that happen I support it he is not the coach to take us forward we have alot of young players to work with so we need them to play our way the tika taka way he wants to play Vidal RIKITIC busquet every game now Arthur melo should start ever game an when de gong comes now your telling me he still with rikitic an Vidal when it should be Arthur an gong I hate valverge he is poor has no tactics he rely on messi to much
PV7
112
i predict the score will be 4-1 with barca winning 2night and messi scoring 2 or more goals
Akintundejr
107
Just watch out he will win so many fan heart 💞 today
StackAlmighty
90
Like what Messi said the defeat against Liverpool is not the coach’s fault is themselves the players although he’s part of the team but you can’t blame a man for another man’s mess the same formation Barcelona used to defeat Liverpool first leg is the same they used on second so don’t pray for your team to loose just to sack a coach I’ve never seen real fans do that on a Final match less this time guys claiming to be Barcelona fans but praying for us to loose we are winners no Matter what good coach or not next season we’ll prove that
Hartley11
85
Barcelona will win tonight
bakmpuz
76
Valverdae will only be sacked or replaced if Barcelona have a reliable coach from Catalonia or else Valverdae will stay until such a replacement is found
oheneantwib
62
Whether win or lose Valverde must go. The team is for the fans, supporters and sympathizers and we have decided that the best decision is that the coach will be allow to leave graceful aftet the Copa Del Rey finals tonight.
KapilAcharya
17
congratulation Messi and barca for Winning "STILL IT'S HURTS" award 2k19
Don't make fun of others, friend. Because the boomerang you throw will ultimately come back to you. Try to respect.
dele1972
14
valverge out valverge out so if barca loose to make that happen I support it he is not the coach to take us forward we have alot of young players to work with so we need them to play our way the tika taka way he wants to play Vidal RIKITIC busquet every game now Arthur melo should start ever game an when de gong comes now your telling me he still with rikitic an Vidal when it should be Arthur an gong I hate valverge he is poor has no tactics he rely on messi to much
must Messi be the only one all the time? of course, he is the best in the world but a team that hit at goal from different angle is the team that is formidable. All this 'Messi must score' all the time,over reliance on him, is one of the reasons we are always losing at big matches even after leading by three goals. Messi does not need to score to make any point that he is the best in the world. If someone on planet earth claims that Messi is not the best, it means either the person has vision problem or does not know the difference between football and wrestling. It is time we learnt that football is not just about an individual alone. I wish that Barça wins today but we must prove it in the field.
kusbdlnru
12
must Messi be the only one all the time? of course, he is the best in the world but a team that hit at goal from different angle is the team that is formidable. All this 'Messi must score' all the time,over reliance on him, is one of the reasons we are always losing at big matches even after leading by three goals. Messi does not need to score to make any point that he is the best in the world. If someone on planet earth claims that Messi is not the best, it means either the person has vision problem or does not know the difference between football and wrestling. It is time we learnt that football is not just about an individual alone. I wish that Barça wins today but we must prove it in the field.
we barca fans just studying this cup I am looking at the big picture our coach needs to change the way he thinks so unless he does that he needs to go we lost everything under valverge he don't trust the young players he don't teach our possesion game properly because from 2atching each an everyone of barca games were not good at it anymore he wants to play this particular crew piqua jorbi sergi Vidal rikitic busquet Suarez he never tried coutinho in midfield he hardly ever play dembele an coutinho together he needs changing at our level we need a better coach 1 that understand barca