Softfootball understands that to the disappointment of many, Barcelona’s first home game of the new La Liga season won’t take place at the rebuilt Spotify Camp Nou as promised by Club’s President Joan Laporta who claimed they be back soon. Instead, the club confirmed that their clash with Valencia on Sunday, Sept 14, will be held at the smaller Estadi Johan Cruyff in Sant Joan Despí.
The change comes after Barça failed to get the final administrative permits needed to reopen the Camp Nou. To make matters more complicated, the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, their temporary home for the last two seasons, was unavailable because of a Post Malone concert.
That left the Johan Cruyff Stadium, usually home to the women’s team and Barça Atlètic, as the only option. Its 6,000 seats fall short of La Liga’s minimum requirement of 8,000, but the league granted an exception because of the ongoing Camp Nou reconstruction.
The ground had to undergo some upgrades, including installing VAR technology, a better fibre-optic connection, and pitch adjustments. Tickets for the match will be limited to club members with season passes from the last two years, distributed by lottery.
Official Barcelona XI to face Valencia at the Johan Cruyff stadium, posted by the team’s official X handle, see below;
This will be the first time in more than a century that Barça’s men’s team plays a league fixture at Johan Cruyff Stadium.
On the pitch, Hansi Flick’s side needs to bounce back after dropping points in a 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano before the international break. They sit two points behind leaders Real Madrid. Valencia, meanwhile, arrive with some momentum after their 3-0 win over Getafe. Under Carlos Corberán, Los Ches have been tough to beat away from home.
Meanwhile, Valencia posted their official XI to face Barcelona via the team’s official X handle, see below;
Barça are unbeaten in their last 10 league meetings with Valencia, including a 7-1 thrashing last season. Robert Lewandowski has scored seven goals in five league games against Valencia, while Frenkie de Jong will miss out through injury.
