A 2-1 home win over Celta de Vigo at the weekend moved Valencia to within four points of safety in La Liga, but they remain in grave danger of being relegated, something which would be a disaster for such a storied club.
This cup tie offers Los Ches the chance to perhaps build some confidence or momentum by picking up a famous win over Barcelona. However, it also looms over them as a potential hammering from the team that smashed them in the league not too long ago. A repeat of anything like that could be seriously damaging to the players' confidence as they attempt to navigate a gritty relegation battle.
The visitors have recovered from the blip which, at the end of last year, saw them give away a whopping lead at the top of La Liga. Back-to-back wins have put them within touching distance of Madrid.
On the contrary to their opponents, Hansi Flick's men will look to achieve a resounding victory which should propel them on in the league and the Champions League.
Valencia vs Barcelona Team News
Corberán continues to soldier on without full-back Thierry Correia who is out for the long term with a cruciate injury. Dimitri Folquier is also on the sidelines with a muscle issue. Diego Lopez and Enzo Barrenechea are in contention but doubtful.
Barcelona are missing goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Marc Bernal for the medium to long term, while Andreas Christensen is also unavailable.
Valencia vs Barcelona Possible Lineups
Corberán can't afford to rotate too much. He needs to build confidence in his players and if he goes for too weak a team they could be on the end of another hiding. Plus, match sharpness will be crucial at this stage of the season. Expect him to play a mostly unchanged X1 to the one which beat Celta at the weekend, with a slight refresh in some areas.
Valencia Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvilli; Aarons, Tarrega, Mosquera, Gaya; Guerra, Canos; Lopez, Almeida, Rioja; Rafa Mir
Hansi Flick will be the more inclined of the two coaches to rest some players, given the overwhelmingly superior strength in depth his squad possesses, but he shouldn't go too crazy as a defeat here could be damaging to their overall season.
Barcelona Predicted Lineup (4-3-3): Iñaki Peña ; Kounde, Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Balde; Gavi, de Jong, Casado; Ferran Torres, Lewandowski, Ansu Fati
Valencia vs Barcelona Prediction
Home advantage will be crucial for Valencia and they will hope to keep the game scoreless for as long as possible while trying to steal themselves a goal. In the end, they will probably come up just short of getting a famous win.
Prediction: Valencia 1 - 2 Barcelona
A big cup quarter-final featuring two of Spanish football's biggest and most iconic clubs is always something worth watching.
Fans in the UK can watch Valencia vs Barcelona via live streaming with bet365. Meanwhile, the game is available online in the US on ESPN+.
