Valencia v Barcelona: Henry points Barca in the direction of the Spanish cup final

European Leagues / Alsy / 20 March 2008 / Leave a Comment

Morgan in the driving seat - Allsy on why this match may save Ronald Koeman's job at Valencia and why the Copa Del Rey might also be Frank Rijkard's only chance of silverware this season

OK, I admit to never being a fan of Ronald Koeman as a player. While Van Basten, Guillit and Rijkaard oozed class in the orange of Netherlands I always perceived Koeman as a blunt instrument in comparison. Sure, he could hit a mean dead ball but I always suspected he was more style than substance.

Since replacing Quique Flores as manager at Valencia last October fans at the Mestalla are currently questioning his managerial skills. Preparing a team for a semi-final, second leg of the Copa del Rey, against Barcelona, presents enough problems for any manager but for Koeman it's set to be come the defining moment of his tenure in Spain so far.

In the first leg Barcelona dominated but failed to penetrate Valencia's defence. The Camp Nou crowds are used to stuttering home performances this season but things took a turn for the worse when the ever-impressive David Villa got on the end of Arizmendi's cross and beat Valdés. In the end it required a late, controversial goal (replays showed that Eto'o handled the ball in the build up) from Xavi to even the scores for Barcelona.

In past years Valencia looked the team most likely to end the domestic pre-eminence of Madrid and Barcelona becoming Champions League regulars in the process.

Unfortunately this year's campaign could not have been worse with a solitary group win alongside a current La Liga position of eleventh. Perhaps the Champions League debacle was primarily down to Flores but soon after Koeman blew any charm offensive when dropping three of the teams most experienced players (David Albelda, Santiago Canizares and Miguel Angel Angulo) following a 3-0 home defeat to Barcelona.

Peace eventually returned to the Mestalla but results worsened as Valencia slid from seventh to their current position of eleventh in La Liga. Koeman's team have one victory in their last seven games and the Copa del Rey has been the solitary silver lining in a season of grey clouds. If Valencia do reach the final and defeat Getafe it may buy Koeman a little more time but either way, star striker Villa seems desperate to move elsewhere.

Valencia fans can take comfort in the fact that Barcelona look just as unimpressive of late. The media circus that follow the Catalans is in a frenzy over Rijkaard's decision to omit Ronaldinho from the Copa del Rey squad. The Brazilian's form has been patchy all season but this decision will do little to change the feeling that either Rijkaard or Ronaldinho will not be at Barcelona next year.

The high-price forward line has never settled and Rijkaard has often left out one of his marquee players for youngsters like Bojan and Giovanni. In March Barcelona's inconsistency was laid bare as they beat Celtic in the Champions League but failed to win in three La Liga fixtures gaining a solitary point along the way. They now need divine intervention to make up the five points to Madrid.

With both teams low on confidence I don't expect a classic encounter. The home crowd will expect Valencia to take the game to the Catalans but with an away goal in the bag I suspect Koeman will firstly ensure that his side are well organised defensively. Barcelona have to score for a chance to progress and, with players like Silva, Joaquin and Villa, Valencia are well placed to be a genuine threat on the break.

You can back Valencia to win at [3.45] while Barcelona are [2.34]. Despite holding the advantage these prices reflect the difficulty Valencia will have keeping out Henry, Messi and Eto'o. To my mind the best Koeman can hope for is the draw at [3.45] but if the real Barcelona show up, Koeman's days may really be numbered.