Barcelona’s La Liga homecoming against Valencia reduced to tiny stadium

1 month ago 16

Barcelona’s La Liga homecoming against Valencia reduced to tiny stadium

After 3 weeks connected the roadworthy to commencement the La Liga play champions Barcelona play their archetypal location lucifer connected Sunday, though it won’t beryllium the glorious instrumentality to the rebuilt Spotify Camp Nou they had hoped for.

The Catalan giants volition big Valencia astatine their 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff grooming crushed stadium arsenic they bid to support gait with leaders Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.

Barca, fourth, are 2 points down the apical 2 aft a 1-1 gully astatine Rayo Vallecano earlier the planetary interruption successful which Hansi Flick’s broadside were outplayed.

After being fixed support to play distant astatine the commencement of the play truthful the Camp Nou could beryllium readied, Barca’s clip ran out.

They did not denote the venue for their crippled against Valencia until Tuesday, successful the hopes they would get the permits they needed to play earlier a reduced-capacity assemblage astatine their revamped stadium.

With a performance being held astatine the Olympic stadium — wherever Barcelona person been playing the past 2 seasons during gathering enactment astatine Camp Nou, which is owed to beryllium completed successful 2026 — the nine person been reduced to playing earlier a tiny crowd.

Rivals Real Madrid besides played astatine their Alfredo Di Stefano grooming crushed stadium during renovations astatine the Santiago Bernabeu, but it was chiefly during the 2020/21 play erstwhile fans were not allowed to be due to the fact that of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We volition spell backmost to Camp Nou arsenic soon arsenic possible, we’re truly looking guardant to returning,” said Barcelona president Joan Laporta connected Thursday.

The Catalans thumped Italian broadside Como 5-0 astatine the Johan Cruyff stadium successful August successful a friendly, which they had besides hoped to play astatine the Camp Nou, primitively owed to reopen successful November 2024.

Barcelona granted Valencia 290 tickets for the match, which rapidly sold out.

“We person to accommodate adjacent though we cognize that we privation to play successful large stadiums,” complained Valencia midfielder Pepelu.

“In the extremity we tin bash small different than conscionable playing the crippled and winning it.”

Flick’s rampant Barcelona thrashed Valencia 7-1 astatine the Olympic stadium past play but Pepelu expects a person crippled connected Sunday.

“We’re acceptable to spot if we tin get a bully result. We’ve worked to close things from past twelvemonth and we’re convinced it volition beryllium a bully match,” helium added.

Flick suggested his Barcelona squad needed to support their egos successful cheque if they are to win this play pursuing their home treble. Playing astatine the Johan Cruyff mightiness bring them down to earth.

“It’s important determination are nary egos, that kills the chances of success,” said Flick, upset aft the team’s mediocre show against Rayo astatine Vallecas.

Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal besides insisted Barcelona stars needed to beryllium focussed aft returning from planetary duty.

“We did not commencement (the season) with the strength that we finished, we made mistakes,” admitted Yamal.

“We are bare for more, you person to springiness america time.”

Real Madrid sojourn Real Sociedad portion Athletic Bilbao big Alaves, some connected Saturday, successful a Basque Country double-header.

Player to watch: Julian Alvarez

Atletico Madrid are winless astatine the commencement of the play and their clash against Villarreal, third, connected Saturday is the cleanable accidental to kick-start their season. With Antoine Griezmann reduced to a seat role, Argentina planetary Alvarez has been handed the reins successful onslaught and is hoping to reward Diego Simeone’s faith.