Gary Neville
Gary Neville was officially unveiled as Valencia's new head coach on 3 December Reuters

Valencia boss Gary Neville will be a keen observer when he watches his new team square off against treble winners Barcelona from the stands of the Mestalla on 5 December.

Where to watch live

Kick-off is set for 7.30pm GMT. The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports 2 HD.

Overview

Gary Neville will not make his managerial bow against Barcelona this weekend, as he only officially steps in as Valencia's head coach on 6 December. The home side will instead be managed by his younger brother Phil, who was assistant coach to the Mestalla outfit's previous boss Nuno, and fellow coach Salvador Gonzalez.

Neville will inherit a lengthy injury list when he gets started on his new job, with Diego Alves, Alvaro Negredo, Pablo Piatti, Rodrigo, Antonio Barragan and Shkodran Mustafi all currently out of action. In addition, Joao Cancelo and Javi Fuego are both suspended after getting sent off against Sevilla last weekend.

Barcelona swept aside third-tier outfit Villanovense 6-1 in the Copa del Rey in midweek to continue their rich vein of form. The Catalan giants are on a seven-match winning run across all competitions, conceding only twice in that sequence.

Defender Jeremy Mathieu picked up a thigh injury against Villanovense and will not feature at the Mestalla.

What managers say

Gary Neville: "I'm precious [about] what I associate myself with. Sitting on the television over the last few years, it is time now to stand up. When I received the call about Valencia on Sunday evening, I thought 'what a football club, what an opportunity, what a challenge. If I turned down this job I could have kissed goodbye to my credibility."

Luis Enrique: "[The win over Villanovense] was a game in which the team responded and the crowd did too. [The Copa del Rey is] an attractive competition for all the teams. It could be more attractive but it's a great trophy and the final is one of the best games that you can play in."

Form guide

  • Valencia (all competitions): WLLDW
  • Last result: Barakaldo 1-3 Valencia (Copa del Rey)
  • Barcelona (all competitions): WWWWW
  • Last result: Barcelona 6-1 Villanovense (Copa del Rey)

Betting odds (888sport)

  • Valencia win: 8
  • Draw: 79/17
  • Barcelona win: 3/10

Team news

Valencia possible XI: Domenech; Orban, Santos, Abdennour, Gaya; Parejo, Perez, Barbosa; Feghouli, Alcacer, Mina

Barcelona possible XI: Bravo; Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez, Neymar

Barcelona FC