Two teams battling for survival in La Liga will go head-to-head in a crucial showdown on Saturday evening, as Valencia host bottom-placed Real Valladolid at Mestalla. Both sides are in desperate need of points, with Valencia sitting in 18th place after their 3-3 draw with Osasuna last weekend, while Real Valladolid find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table, eight points adrift of safety. Valencia’s campaign has been a tumultuous one, recording five wins, nine draws, and 12 defeats across 26 matches, leaving them level on points with 17th-placed Las Palmas. A strong run of form in January and early February, where they won three of four matches, raised hopes of survival, but two draws and a heavy defeat to Atletico Madrid in their last three outings have prevented them from climbing out of the danger zone. Mestalla remains their strongest asset in the relegation battle, with 18 of their 24 points this season coming at home. Their struggles away from home have been a major factor in their precarious position, as they are yet to secure a victory on their travels this term. Valencia have been a fixture in Spain’s top flight since 1986, making relegation an unthinkable prospect, but with just 12 matches remaining, every point is now vital. Their previous encounter with Real Valladolid ended in a disappointing 1-0 defeat, though they emerged victorious in this fixture last season with a 2-1 win.

Real Valladolid’s situation is even more dire. With just 16 points from 26 matches, they are staring at a return to the Segunda División unless they can produce a remarkable turnaround. A record of four wins, four draws, and 18 defeats paints a grim picture, and their statistical woes are equally alarming—they have scored the fewest goals in the league (17) and conceded the most (60). Despite their struggles, they showed some resilience last time out, holding Las Palmas to a 1-1 draw to end a six-match losing streak. However, their last victory dates back to January 11, and their away form has been dreadful, with just three points collected from 13 road trips. They have managed a mere nine away goals all season, which does not bode well for their chances at Mestalla. That said, they can take encouragement from their 1-0 win over Valencia earlier in the campaign, although their recent form suggests a repeat performance will be difficult.

Valencia’s squad is in relatively good shape, with only Thierry Correia sidelined due to a knee injury. Hugo Duro is expected to return to the matchday squad after overcoming a fitness issue, but he may have to settle for a place on the bench following Umar Sadiq’s brace against Osasuna. Luis Rioja and Diego López are set to continue in the wide roles, while Ivan Jaime is likely to feature as the central playmaker, with Javi Guerra operating in a deeper midfield position. Valencia’s probable lineup includes Mamardashvili in goal, with Foulquier, Tárrega, Mosquera, and Gayà forming the back four. Guerra and Barrenechea are expected to anchor the midfield, while Rioja, Jaime, and López support Sadiq in attack.

Real Valladolid welcome back Stanko Jurić from suspension, and he is expected to slot straight into midfield. Goalkeeper André Ferreira remains a major doubt with a muscle injury, while Joseph Aidoo is unlikely to feature. Given their improved display against Las Palmas, wholesale changes are not expected, though Juanmi Latasa’s goal off the bench could earn him a start at the expense of Marcos André. Their likely lineup sees Hein in goal, with Candela, Cömert, Javi Sánchez, and Aznour in defense. Grillitsch and Jurić should operate in midfield, while Tuhami, Amallah, and Moro support Latasa in attack.

Despite Real Valladolid’s desperate need for points, their woeful away form makes this a difficult task. Valencia have looked much stronger at Mestalla, and with their attacking players showing signs of life in the recent draw against Osasuna, they should have enough firepower to edge past their struggling visitors. Expect a closely fought contest, but the home side should secure a vital 2-0 victory to boost their survival hopes.

两支为西甲生存而战的球队将在周六晚上的关键对决中正面交锋，瓦伦西亚将在梅斯塔利亚主场迎战排名垫底的皇家巴利亚多利德。两支球队都迫切需要积分，瓦伦西亚在上周末3-3战平奥萨苏纳后排名第18，而皇家巴利亚多利德则发现自己在积分榜上垫底，距离安全还有8分的差距。瓦伦西亚的赛季非常混乱，在26场比赛中取得了5胜9平12负的战绩，与排名第17的拉斯帕尔马斯积分持平。在1月和2月初的比赛中，他们取得了四场比赛中的三场胜利，这给他们带来了生存的希望，但在最近三场比赛中，他们两次战平并惨败于马德里竞技，这使他们无法走出危险地带。梅斯塔利亚仍然是他们在保级战中最强大的资产，本赛季他们的24分中有18分来自主场。他们在客场的挣扎是他们处境不稳定的主要因素，因为他们本赛季还没有在客场取得胜利。自1986年以来，瓦伦西亚一直是西班牙顶级联赛的常客，降级是不可想象的，但在只剩12场比赛的情况下，每一分都至关重要。他们之前与皇家巴利亚多利德的比赛以0 -1惨败而告终，尽管他们上赛季在这场比赛中以2-1获胜。

巴利亚多利德的情况更加糟糕。26场比赛仅得16分，除非他们能有一个显著的转变，否则他们将开始重返第二梯队División。4胜4平18负的战绩描绘了一幅严峻的画面，他们的数据问题同样令人担忧——他们进的球最少（17个），丢的球最多（60个）。尽管他们很挣扎，但他们在上一场比赛中表现出了一些韧性，1-1逼平了拉斯帕尔马斯，结束了六连败。然而，他们上一次的胜利要追溯到1月11日，他们的客场状态非常糟糕，在13场客场比赛中只拿到3分。他们整个赛季只打进了9个客场进球，这对他们在梅斯塔利亚的比赛来说并不是一个好兆头。也就是说，他们可以从早些时候1-0战胜瓦伦西亚的比赛中得到鼓舞，尽管他们最近的状态表明，要想重复这样的表现是很困难的。

瓦伦西亚的阵容状态相对较好，只有科雷亚因膝伤缺阵。杜罗有望在克服健康问题后回到比赛日的大名单中，但在萨迪克对阵奥萨苏纳的比赛中，他可能不得不坐在替补席上。里奥哈和迭戈López将继续担任边路的角色，而伊万·杰米可能会成为中场组织者，而哈维·格拉将在中场的后腰位置上发挥作用。瓦伦西亚可能的阵容包括门将马达什维利，四后卫包括富尔基耶、Tárrega、莫斯克拉和盖恩斯。格拉和巴伦内切亚将成为中场的主力，而里奥哈、杰米和López将在进攻端支持萨迪克。

皇家巴利亚多利德欢迎停赛归来的斯坦科·尤里奇，他有望直接进入中场。门将费雷拉的肌肉伤势仍然是一个很大的疑问，而约瑟夫·艾多也不太可能参加比赛。考虑到他们在对阵拉斯帕尔马斯的比赛中表现有所改善，预计不会出现大规模的变化，尽管拉塔萨在替补席上的进球可能会让他顶替马科斯安德罗埃尔获得首发机会。他们可能的阵容是海因在门前，坎德拉，Cömert，哈维Sánchez和阿兹努尔防守。格里里奇和尤里奇应该在中场发挥作用，而图哈米、阿马拉和莫罗则在进攻端支持拉塔萨。

尽管巴利亚多利德迫切需要积分，但他们糟糕的客场状态使这一任务变得困难。瓦伦西亚在梅斯塔利亚的比赛中看起来更强大了，他们的进攻球员在最近战平奥萨苏纳的比赛中表现出了活力，他们应该有足够的火力来击败苦苦挣扎的客队。预计这将是一场势均力敌的比赛，但主队应该确保一场关键的2:0胜利，以提高他们的生存希望。