Valencia are aiming to book their spot in the last 16 out of Group C by overcoming Turkish outfit Bursaspor, who have been the whipping boys of the pool in their first adventure amongst Europe’s elite sides.
Los Che, on the other hand, have their eyes set on a place in the knock-out stages and will still be involved in the competition come the spring assuming they pick up a draw at least at the Mestalla while Manchester United don’t lose to Rangers in a match played concurrently.
Judging by the manner in which Valencia bulldozed their way by Bursa in the group’s opening fixture, they should have little to worry about. Tino Costa started the rout with a strike of stunning quality, and his effort would be complimented by Aritz Aduriz just before the break. Pablo Hernandez tied the points up with the third before Roberto Soldado completed the scoring with more than 10 minutes remaining.
Life hasn’t always been so freewheeling for Unai Emery’s side. One win in six Primera Division matches has seen them drop to fifth in the standings, though there was evidence of an improvement at the weekend when they became just the second time in over eight months to avoid defeat away to Villarreal.
Defender Ricardo Costa certainly isn’t about to take this fixture for granted. “We have to win and give everything in order to be the better team,” he told the media. “If we do not score early, they might gain confidence. The Turkish team is good, even though they have failed to win or score. We must have respect but score early in order to stay in control of the game.”
After overcoming Rangers 3-0 in the last European match at home, Emery will be wanting more of the same from his side.
More Positive
Bursaspor’s first foray into the Champions League has proven to be something of a disaster. After four matches they only have the slightest chance of finishing even third, and to achieve that they will have to pick up a historic victory in Valencia. Ertugrul Saglam’s side have yet to earn a point or even score in the competition, having qualified via their historic league victory last season.
The Crocodiles’ poor form has been surprisingly reserved for Europe, as they are performing well in a competitive domestic league. An 11 match unbeaten streak was achieved at the start of the campaign, though that was ended a couple of weeks ago by Trabzonspor, who won 2-0 Bursa Ataturk Stadium. Still, they lie a commendable second, despite a profusion of draws steadying their rapid early season progress.
Champions League football has proven a massive test for a club who have previously only qualified for Europe twice before, the latest of which came in 1986-87. Valencia’s heavy win in Turkey has proven their nadir, but 1-0 losses against Rangers and Manchester United left them well out of the hunt before the Red Devils recorded a 3-0 success in Bursa, with all the goals arriving in the second half.
“I'm much more positive than before. We are getting better, and gathering experience by playing these world-class opponents,” upbeat coach Saglam told the media after the latest continental set-back. “We wanted to record a precious victory for our fans but they know the score. At 3-0 down they gave us a beautiful present by chanting for all of us.”
So Bursaspor will take their positive feelings to Spain and will continue their schooling against a side with significant ambitions.
TEAM NEWS
Valencia
David Navarro, Miguel and Jeremy Mathieu were all confirmed as absentees for the Wednesday game on Monday, while they were later joined by Mehmet Topal, Manuel Fernandes and Sofiane Feghouli. First choice goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez won’t be risked, but Juan Mata is set to play with a knee brace.
Bursaspor
Sercan Yildirim missed out at the weekend due to a calf problem, while Ali Tandogan is out until mid-December having previously fractured his skull.
Prediction
Valencia may have had their problems domestically and may not be in the kind of form that saw them blow Bursaspor away 4-0 earlier this season, but Unai Emery’s side still have plenty of class and should be good enough to overcome their opponents with a little to spare.
Valencia 3-1 Bursaspor 
