Valencia's Away Woes Continue: Can They Break the Curse at Leganés?

Leganés will welcome Valencia to the Estadio Municipal de Butarque in La Liga on Friday. Both teams have just one win in eight league games this season and are in the lower half of the league table.

Valencia CF's away form is becoming increasingly concerning, with zero points from four matches and a dismal performance putting Rubén Baraja's side under pressure. The team cannot afford another disappointing display at Butarque, similar to their recent outings at the Reale Arena and the Metropolitano. The dual nature of Valencia CF, as a strong home side but weak on the road, must disappear in Leganés to avoid slipping into the relegation zone during the upcoming international break.

The defeat at Real Arena has stung Valencia CF. Rubén Baraja was highly critical of his players' away performances, demanding an immediate reaction to rise from the bottom half of the table. "Enough is enough," the coach stated in the press conference following the loss in San Sebastián.

October looms as a crucial month for Valencia. The club expresses confidence in Baraja, who must rejuvenate the team's performance in the next three fixtures against Leganés, Las Palmas, and Getafe. Mestalla will only host the clash against the Canarians, making it vital to start collecting points away against teams of Valencia's caliber. There are no more excuses.

To break the poor away streak, Baraja will likely rely on the same players from the previous match. The Valladolid native will not have reinforcements from the treatment room, as players like Gayà and Rafa Mir remain sidelined, leaving him to work with the available squad.

As for the lineup, Baraja may change the formation to stem the flow of goals conceded away from home. Mamardashvili is expected to remain in goal, while the defense may include five players. Yarek could slot into center-back alongside Mosquera and Tárrega, with Thierry and Foulquier expected to take up the wing-back roles.

In midfield, Enzo Barrenecha or Javi Guerra might partner Pepelu in a double pivot. On the flanks, Diego López and Luis Rioja are set to take charge of the wide play, while Hugo Duro looks to lead the attack.

The hosts, meanwhile, are on a six-match winless run since their sole victory of the season against Las Palmas on August 25. Despite this, they have managed to draw half of those games, including their last two derbies away against Getafe and Rayo Vallecano.

Bit by bit, apart from the encounter with the Canary side, they have accumulated a total of seven points, helping them stay out of the relegation zone since the start of the season. However, they are the second-lowest scoring team in the competition.

With just five goals to their name, it is concerning that three of those were scored by the same player, Juan Cruz, while the other two came from defensive players like Enric Franquesa and Jorge Sáenz. Thus, there is an urgent need for a greater contribution from the attacking line, especially from the Ivorian forward Sébastien Haller.

The striker on loan from Borussia Dortmund, who arrived on transfer deadline day as one of the more surprising signings, is yet to find the net in valid matches. He has scored twice, but both goals were ruled out. The aim is to continue involving him prominently and hope the team generates more attacking opportunities for him to showcase his talents.

Additionally, the team will still be missing Naim García due to physical issues. The Cameroonian midfielder Yvan Neyou has also been absent in recent matches but is a doubt, just like forward Munir El Haddadi, who was omitted from the squad last weekend due to some discomfort.

Probable line-ups:

Leganés: Dmitrovic; Rosier, Nastasic, Sergio González, Javi Hernández; Brasanac, Tapia; Juan Cruz, Óscar Rodríguez, Franquesa; Haller.

Valencia CF: Mamardashvili; Foulquier, Tárrega, Mosquera, Yarek, Thierry Rendall; Pepelu, Barrenecha or Guerra, Luis Rioja, Diego López; Hugo Duro.

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