Barcelona visits Mestalla with the outright lead in LaLiga at stake

Barcelona head into their visit to Mestalla with a golden chance to stand alone at the top of the table. The defeats suffered by Real Madrid against Betis and Atletico at San Mames leave the path clear for Hansi Flick's side to move into the outright lead for the first time this season. A win in Valencia would put the Catalan club three points ahead of Mourinho's team and five clear of Simeone's.

• Barcelona can finish the weekend as the sole leader of LaLiga with a win at Mestalla.
• Real Madrid and Atletico both lost their away matches against Betis and Athletic.
• Valencia are missing eight players and have taken only one point from a possible nine.
• Mestalla has traditionally been a hostile ground for Barcelona.

What is at stake for Barcelona at Mestalla

A victory would give Barcelona the outright lead in LaLiga, a position they have not yet held this season. The three-point gap over Real Madrid, who fell at La Cartuja, and the five-point cushion over Atletico, beaten in Bilbao, would mark the first clear separation at the top of the standings. Although plenty of the season remains and a mathematical lead means little at this stage, winning in Valencia would set the tone and reinforce Flick's side as the main candidate to retain the title for a third straight season.

Valencia arrive short-handed for the clash

Corberan's team is not enjoying its best moment. The eight absences in the squad further weaken a side that has shown little potential over the first three rounds of the championship. With just one point from a possible nine, Valencia face the match against Barcelona needing a result, but also with the difficulty of taking on an opponent in form and ready to make a statement in the table.

Mestalla pressure and Barcelona's chances

Visiting Mestalla has never been easy for Barcelona. The hostile atmosphere that usually greets the Catalan side at the Valencia stadium has weighed on many previous trips. However, the pile-up of absences in the home team removes much of that threat and leaves Barcelona with a golden opportunity to go all out from the first minute and take advantage of Real Madrid's slip-up.

Real Madrid and Atletico stumble

Betis punish Real Madrid at La Cartuja

Real Madrid crashed in Seville against a Betis side that capitalised on their only clear scoring chance. The Madrid forwards were ineffective and could not beat Betis goalkeeper Valles, who produced a strong performance after conceding five goals in the previous round against Levante. Decisions also went against Mourinho's men: Espi's disallowed goal and the denial of a retake on Mbappé's saved penalty fell on the wrong side. Despite creating several clear chances in the first half, Real Madrid failed to kill the game off.

Athletic run over Atletico at San Mames

Atletico wasted a first half of good football in Bilbao without managing to beat Unai Simon. They paid for it after the break, when Athletic, with Terzic's influence increasingly visible, overwhelmed the visitors with three goals in the second half. The introduction of Julian Alvarez did not change the script. The Argentine forward was jeered by the two hundred Atletico fans who travelled to San Mames, though after the final whistle he approached the away end, escorted by Musso and 'Cuti' Romero, to thank the supporters for their backing.

Quim Puyal's golden anniversary

The football weekend also leaves room to honour a historic figure in Catalan sports broadcasting. Quim Puyal celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 'Futbol en catala' transmissions, a milestone that deserves every tribute. With him began a way of telling football that has left an indelible mark on audiovisual communication in Catalan.