4 reasons why Valencia might condemn Barcelona to a defeat

With the bruises of European heartbreak still weighing them down, Barcelona welcome Valencia at the Camp Nou on match-day 32 in La Liga.

The runaway leaders are still unbeaten in the league and stand on the cusp of yet more history - should they avoid a defeat today, the Blaugrana would set a new record of going 39 games without one, surpassing that of Real Sociedad set in 1979-80.

But given the contrasting circumstances in both camps, it's far easier said than done. Barcelona have a tough proposition to negotiate, and here's why they may go down for the first time this La Liga season.

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#1 European disappointment hard to shake off

Barcelona were stunned 3-0 by Roma

It wasn't just any other European defeat. Barcelona slumped from a 4-1 aggregate lead to a 3-0 loss to AS Roma in the return leg and bow out of the competition in one of the most humiliating ways in their recent history.

A team of this stature isn't used to this kind of exits, and it has naturally taken a toll on the side's frame of mind.

Throw in the belligerent castigation hurled at them by the Spanish press in the immediate aftermath, and the questions surrounding manager Ernesto Valverde's future.

All this has knocked the stuffing out of the Blaugrana who somehow still find themselves under a grey cloud.

They are vulnerable at the moment, albeit psychologically, and Valencia would be chomping in a bid to make a meal out of them.

#2 Valencia's incredible run in the league

Valencia are 9 games unbeaten

What also holds Los Che in good stead ahead of the fixture is the rich vein of form they are in. Having won each of the last five games, they are unbeaten in the last nine and have ended up on the losing side of a match only thrice in the 14 games played since the turn of the year.

Manager Marcelino has transmogrified this team into a robust outfit that aren't only miserly at the back, but also do enough upfront to put themselves over the line.

Valencia have failed to score just thrice all season, and haven't conceded more than once in any of the last 10 games.

This is a more cohesive unit than they ever were before. The fine run sees them sit third on the table, a point and a place above Real Madrid, and firmly on course to achieve their best finish since 2013.

All stats via transfermarkt

#3 Fatigue setting in

Even Messi was horribly out of form in the midweek

At one point in time, a team has to lose. Any unbeaten run won't go on forever and even if the Catalans are only aiming to become the first Spanish side in history to go an entire La Liga campaign without a defeat, they appear increasingly worn out at the moment.

Fatigue is creeping in after a long, enduring season at the top, and it is evident in their recent games. Sevilla, Leganes and AS Roma in the UCL.

Roma deserve complete credit for the historic turnaround, but Barcelona, on their part, looked spectacularly out of form. Never have we seen them so weak this season - aside the Super-cup defeat to Real Madrid at the start of the season.

Playing with flair all season has left them burnt out, the legs are tired and fatigue is admittedly setting in.

#4 Valencia have done this before

Tricky game

It's a kind of a deja vu for Valencia. The sides have met in similar circumstances before, then The Bats came out on top with aplomb.

Around this time in 2014, the Blaugrana were struggling for form when Valencia came to town and stunned the mighty hosts 3-2 after fighting back from a 2-1 deficit. Exactly two years later, when Barcelona were once again struggling after going 39-games unbeaten, the Bats came to Camp Nou to claim a 2-1 victory.

And another two years later, here they are again. At the same place and exactly in the same contrasting vein of form like the two previous occasions. So if the past precedents are anything to go by, the balance is tilted towards the visitors again.

Valencia as aforementioned, have the psychological advantage, and would pull no punches in coming away with all the three points.