Events have dictated that Valencia look very likely to earn a Champions League spot. Though Villarreal are still going strong, their other major rivals for a top four finish, Espanyol, have been forced to sell key members of their squad. With a four point advantage over the Barcelona-based club, los Che would expect to have enough in the tank to outlast them.
Unai Emery has his side going along quite nicely at the moment. Though they’ve relied heavily on late goals and have rarely looked completely convincing, the east coast club have lost only one of their last 11 Primera Division fixtures, and event that was against Real Madrid. Indeed, last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Racing de Santander prevented Valencia adding to a five-game winning streak.
The coach indicated that a draw was a just result, though he wasn’t totally happy with the performance of his side, complaining that possession was readily gifted away with too much frequency, while there wasn’t enough depth to their play.
Some tough fixtures loom on the horizon for les Che. Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona are all due to face Valencia over the coming month, so they’ll be looking to Sunday night’s match as an opportunity to put some points on the board, and ideally some additional space between themselves and those teams who covet their position.
Bettered By Barca
Hercules failed to replicate their early season success over Barcelona when they met the champions at the Jose Rico Perez last weekend, but they did prove to be stubborn opponents once again for la Blaugrana. For more than 80 minutes the game remained competitive, but the dismissal of substitute Farinos allowed Pep Guardiola’s men to score twice in the last five minutes, earning a 3-0 win.
“The team played a good game in general,” coach Esteban Vigo reasoned after the match, content with the effort and application his side put in against a team he reckons to be the best on the planet.
In a tough league, points have to be taken against tough teams, and though Hercules have sporadically managed to do so, their record against the middle order is poor and leaves them only four points better off than those sides in the drop zone.
The Alicante club have struggled particularly away from home, earning only six points on their travels, which is one of the worst records in the league. Hercules’ record of one win in six is rather coloured by their poor travelling form, as they have played four of those games on the road, while one of their home fixtures was against Barca.
With some easier home matches forthcoming – Zaragoza, Getafe, Almeria and Osasuna – it may well be that this encounter is looked upon as something of a bonus, as points are not expected to be claimed.
TEAM NEWS
Valencia
Jonas Goncalves has joined up with the squad and could debut over the weekend. No new injury problems have been named by los Che, who will be without the suspended David Navarro and Ricardo Costa.
David Albelda, Vicente Rodriguez, Miguel Moya and Cesar Sanchez continue to battle problems, while Juan Mata has an ankle complaint.
Hercules
Javier Farina is suspended after his dismissal against Barcelona last weekend. There are a number of selection issues, with Abraham Paz, Noe Pamarot and Mohammed Sarr all somewhat doubtful. Abel Aguilar has been struggling with gastroenteritis.
Prediction
Valencia may not be playing with the greatest conviction at the moment, but they’re going along steadily and picking up wins with regularity. Away from home, it wouldn’t be inconceivable that Hercules could claim a point, or even three, but the challenge at the Mestalla is likely to be too much for the Alicante side.
Valencia 2-0 Hercules 
