Expect a thriller of a final in Sevilla
The 2018-19 Copa del Rey final is here and it promises to be another fantastic cup finale. Barcelona head in as hot favourites but will Marcelino’s men cause and upset to triumph? Here is our preview:
How they got here
Valencia had the easier route to Sevilla facing and beating Ebro, Sporting Gijon and Getafe in the first three rounds. They had to come from behind having lost to Getafe in the away leg of their quarter-final but a superb hat-trick from Rodrigo, two goals of which came in stoppage time, turned the tie around.
They beat Real Betis in the semi-final, squeaking past them 3-2 on aggregate.
Barcelona had a tricky set of games though Cultural Leonesa and Levante were bush aside in the first two rounds before a thrilling 6-1 win in the second leg of the quarter-final against Sevilla overturned a 2-0 defeat in the away tie.
The semi-final pitched them against Real Madrid and, after a 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp, Barca kicked into gear and thumped their rivals 3-0 back in the capital setting up a final against Valencia.
Liverpool proved it can be done
The way Liverpool demolished Barcelona at Anfield in the Champions League semi-final second-leg was a joy to behold. It was also an example of how every team should set up to face Barca.
Messi was suffocated by the relentless pressing and harrying of the Liverpool players allowing him no time to affect the game. Now, Valencia may not have the same quality as Liverpool but they must look to impose themselves and having not lost to their opponents in either meeting in La Liga, they know they can match them on their day.
Goals win games
To win games of football you have to score goals. These two sides have had no problem finding the back of the net during their respective runs to the final.
Barcelona have scored a whopping 19 times and, the 2-0 defeat at Sevilla in the quarter-final first-leg aside, have hit the net in every single game. They have hit three goals or more four times including a six one drubbing of Sevilla in the second leg of their quarter-final and have attacking quality in abundance.
Valencia also proved they could find the back of the net hitting 13 goals whilst only failing to score once, away at Getafe.
This final should be a thriller. Valencia must get at Barca from the off and not let them settle. As stated above, Liverpool did it to devastating effect and Marcelino must take that example into the final or risk getting blown away.
Barcelona v Valencia betting tip
There are three bets here that have real value you should consider. Firstly, it is always worth a cheeky flutter on the underdog and with Valencia priced at a generous 103/20 to win, it has to be worth a punt. Secondly, given both sides scoring records during their road to the final, backing both teams to score at 13/20 appears a decent shout. Finally, and this is the one I think could really land, betting on there to be over 3.5 goals at odds of 11/8 feels right. Let’s just hope it lives up to the hype.
