Tune in at 3:30 PM ET as Barcelona takes on Valencia. Jack Goodson will be liveblogging for your enjoyment.
Preamble: Welcome back to The Score's ongoing coverage of Spain's La Liga. Or is this the first Spanish liveblog of the new season? I'm not sure. Either way, we're happy to have you back along with us. Today we have Barcelona, fresh off conceding the Supercopa to Real Madrid in midweek, hosting Valencia at the Camp Nou. I think Barcelona may be just a tad vengeful tonight after that defeat in El Clasico. I would not want to be Valencia on this day.
Team sheets
FC Barcelona (4-3-3)
Victor Valdes, Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano, Adriano Correia; Alex Song, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas; Pedro, Lionel Messi, Alexis Sanchez. Bench: Jose Manuel Pinto, Marc Bartra, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Cristian Tello, David Villa.
Valencia CF (4-2-3-1)
Diego Alves; João Pereira, Víctor Ruiz, Adil Rami, Aly Cissokho; Tino Costa, David Albelda; Sofiane Feghouli, Jonas, Andrés Guardado; Roberto Soldado. Bench: Vicente Guaita, Antonio Barragán, Fernando Gago, Jonathan Viera, Pablo Piatti, Daniel Parejo, Nelson Valdez.
A thought on Valencia: As you'll notice Jordi Alba is on the bench for Barcelona tonight. The Spanish fullback would likely be starting for Valencia had he not moved to the European giants in the summer. That's become a theme of late for Valencia, the financially-strapped club losing the likes of David Villa, Juan Mata and David Silva in recent years. Imagine for a second had they been able to retain the services of some of these players - perhaps La Liga wouldn't be a two-club league as many see it.
Team news: Andres Iniesta, Europe's best player according to UEFA, hits the bench for Barcelona today. Alex Song, meanwhile, gets his first start for the club since moving from Arsenal.
Valencia summer signing Fernando Gago failed a late fitness test, so David Albelda will make his first appearance of the season. French defender Adil Rami is stepping in for the suspended Ricardo Costa.
TV: The match is being televised on BeIN Sport. Unfortunately, they will be joining the match in progress following the completion of Real Madrid's win over Granada.
1min: And we're off at the Camp Nou. Valencia, in all white, are moving from right to left.
2min: We're still waiting for BeIN Sport to switch over to the match, even though Real Madrid are up 3-0 and a man with just four minutes to play. You explain that one.
4min: Barcelona are, as expected, monopolizing possession early on. Valencia's first real touch of the ball saw Guardado win it, but Dani Alves immediately put an end to that with a heavy but fair, tackle.
5min: Alex Song gets involved in the act, conceding a free kick thanks to a rough tackle from behind on Jonas.
6min: Pedro does some shifting, outside and then back inside, on the right of the penalty area before slapping a low shot right into the hands of goalkeeper Diego Alves.
10min: Messi hits the deck under pressure from Albeda. That's a free kick, and Barcelona get play started back quickly.
11min: Oh my. This is close from Soldado. Valencia broke on the counter, a move very direct in its effectiveness. Soldado was picked out, isolated with Pique, and the Spanish striker curled a 20-yarder about a yard wide of the far post. Valdes was at full stretch.
13min: Alves rushes 20 yards outside of his box to head away an incisive through ball from Song toward Messi.
13min: Pique is issued a yellow card after putting a both of his hands into the back of the neck of Jonas at midfield as both players were chasing a punt upfield from Alves.
15min: Valencia have a throw-in inside the attacking third. They launch it into the box, but Pique is position well to head clear.
16min: Adriano provides the overlap on the left side, looping a nice cross into the box that finds Messi all alone. Messi, however, gets under the ball and sends his free header high into the stands.
18min: Valencia are sitting nine players behind the ball at the moment. They are doing pretty well, too, containing a dynamic Barcelona side about as well as could be expected.
19min: A huge save from Diego Alves to deny Messi in the center of the box! It was a great header from the Argentinian, down and to the left of the keeper, but Valencia's No. 1 was up to the challenge. It was Dani Alves who provided the service, a lovely ball from the right.
20min: Song is having a very nice debut for Barcelona, at least thus far. He's fitting in seamlessly.
21min: Barcelona are making it look easy until they get into the final third of the pitch. The passing has been celestial, as Ray Hudson would say.
22min: After a few intricate passes around the edge of the box, Messi picks up the ball, shifts it onto his left foot and then blasts a low drive into the box that is deflected behind for a corner by Rami.
GOAL, 23min - Barcelona 1-0 Valencia: Um, wow. Adriano opens the scoring with an absolute screamer!
23min: Barcelona took the corner short, with Messi moving the ball on to Adriano. The fullback took two touches before launching a missile from the left edge of the box into the top right corner past a helpless Alves. What a goal.
24min: Barcelona nearly go two up just seconds after taking the lead, Alves denying Pedro from close range.
26min: Valencia are in for a long night. Fabregas just shaved the far post with a chipped effort, played in by Messi on the right side of the box. Wow.
27min: That's a pretty poor miss to be honest. A first-time drive, low to the far post, was probably the better option.
28min: Another booking on the way, this one for Guardado after the Mexican delayed Barcelona's ability to take a free kick quickly.
@riann.scheepers: It's simply a matter of having to cover all major leagues over a week with a limited number of livebloggers. You must also factor in what games are being show on television. The Real Madrid game wasn't considered a priority compared to other matches this weekend.
Preamble: Welcome back to The Score's ongoing coverage of Spain's La Liga. Or is this the first Spanish liveblog of the new season? I'm not sure. Either way, we're happy to have you back along with us. Today we have Barcelona, fresh off conceding the Supercopa to Real Madrid in midweek, hosting Valencia at the Camp Nou. I think Barcelona may be just a tad vengeful tonight after that defeat in El Clasico. I would not want to be Valencia on this day.
