David Villa’s return to the Mestalla has yet to produce a goal, but Valencia CF and FC Barcelona are still engaged in a pretty entertaining tie. Mostly, this is centered around a couple of things: Barcelona playing with a 3-5-2 formation and Valencia actually keeping possession for a good portion of the half. It feels like the first time in the Guardiola era that a team has been able to keep possession for half of the first half against Barcelona. While that is almost certainly not true, Valencia are still putting in a very good performance.
Valencia CF Vs. FC Barcelona: 0-0 Halftime, But This Is Pretty Fun
However, most of their best play came in the opening 20 minutes. Barcelona have been the better side since then, turning an early 33% possession line (!!!) into a slight lead over Valencia in that statistical category. The best opportunity of the game came in the 20th minute when Lionel Messi incredibly failed to finish a series of three chances, having all of his close-range efforts either blocked or saved. He’s had a couple other chances in the match, as has Villa, but neither has been able to convert.
See More:
