Umar Sadiq out, Adeyemi in as Valencia face Barcelona — Preview, team news, tips & H2H

Umar Sadiq, the Super Eagles striker, will not be available when Valencia welcome Barcelona to Mestalla on Sunday for Matchday four of La Liga, Afrik-Foot reports.

Sadiq suffered a hamstring injury and is not expected to return before November, a devastating blow for a Valencia side that has managed just one goal in three league matches, and that solitary strike was scored by the Nigerian.

Barcelona, by contrast, arrive in imperious form, having won all three of their opening fixtures with an aggregate score of 12–2, placing them top of the table with maximum points under Hansi Flick.

The visitors boast the league’s top scorer in Raphinha, who has five goals in three appearances, while Lamine Yamal reached the milestone of 50 career goals for the club in the 5–2 demolition of Rayo Vallecano on September 1.

Valencia vs Barcelona Match Preview

Carlos Corberan’s side have endured a miserable start to the campaign, collecting one point from three matches.

The opening day brought a goalless draw against Celta de Vigo at Mestalla, followed by a 0–1 home defeat to Real Betis and a 1–3 loss away to newly promoted Deportivo de La Coruna.

Valencia have failed to score in either of their two home matches this season, a barren run that is unlikely to improve without Sadiq leading the line.

Barcelona have been ruthless since the season began, scoring 12 goals in three league matches while conceding just two.

The summer arrivals of Rodri from Manchester City, Anthony Gordon from Newcastle and Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund have added significant depth, though Flick could rest several regulars for this fixture given the short turnaround from the Rayo match.

Even with those changes, Pedri, Raphinha and Yamal are likely to remain in the starting eleven, providing more than enough quality to trouble a depleted Valencia defence.

Head-to-head record: Valencia vs Barcelona

Barcelona have dominated this fixture in recent seasons, winning four of the last five meetings and scoring 21 goals in the process.

The most recent encounter finished 3–1 in favour of Valencia at the Mestalla on May 23, 2026.

Prior to that result, Barcelona had put seven past Valencia in January 2025 (7–1), five in the Copa del Rey in February 2025 (5–0 at Mestalla), and six in September 2025 (6–0 at Camp Nou).

The record over the past 40 encounters stands at 25 Barcelona wins, 10 draws and five Valencia victories.

Team news: Valencia vs Barcelona

Valencia (Umar Sadiq absent)

Valencia are without Sadiq (hamstring, November), Diego Lopez (cruciate ligament), Sergi Canos (cruciate ligament), Guido Rodriguez (muscle), Justin De Haas (ankle) and Jose Copete (meniscus), while Luis Rioja is a doubt with a physical complaint.

Corberan is expected to switch to a 3-5-2 formation to compensate for the absences, with Pablo Maffeo, Cesar Tarrega and Mouctar Diakhaby forming the back three.

Barcelona

Barcelona have Frenkie de Jong (meniscus, October), Roony Bardghji (cruciate ligament, long-term) and Jesse Bisiwu (thigh) ruled out, while Gavi is back in training but not yet ready to start.

Star player comparison: Hugo Duro vs Raphinha

The managers: Carlos Corberan vs Hansi Flick

Carlos Corberan, 43, guided Valencia to ninth in La Liga last season and a Copa del Rey quarter-final.

The Spaniard has experience in English football, but this season’s injury crisis is testing the limits of his squad depth.

Hansi Flick has won two consecutive La Liga titles since taking charge of Barcelona in 2024-25 and has overseen the integration of Rodri, Gordon and Adeyemi into a squad already featuring Pedri, Yamal and Raphinha.

The 61-year-old German is pursuing a third straight league crown and has started the season with three wins from three, scoring at a rate of four goals per match.

Tactical preview: Valencia vs Barcelona

Corberan’s shift to a 3-5-2 is born out of necessity rather than choice, with the volume of defensive injuries forcing him to pack the back line and sacrifice attacking width.

Martinez and Vazquez as wing-backs will need to provide both defensive cover against Barcelona’s wingers and an outlet on the counter, a dual responsibility that is difficult to sustain for 90 minutes against opposition of this calibre.

Barcelona’s 4-2-3-1 allows Raphinha to operate as a central striker with Yamal and Gordon providing pace from the flanks, while Pedri and Bernal control the tempo from deep.

The key matchup is likely to be Valencia’s three centre-backs against Barcelona’s fluid front line, where any positional lapse could create a numerical advantage for the visitors in the final third.

Danjuma’s pace on the counter-attack represents Valencia’s best chance of troubling Barcelona.

Betting tips and prediction: Valencia vs Barcelona

Score prediction: Valencia vs Barcelona