Barcelona looks to keep perfect record at Mestalla against a Valencia side with no room for error

Three matchdays, three wins and a forward line that's starting to look downright scary. Barcelona rolls into Mestalla this Monday carrying the tag of LaLiga's only perfect team, determined not to ease off the gas right before the international break. Standing in the way is a Valencia side that still doesn't know what winning feels like this season, and one dealing with a squad in disarray.

The numbers tell the story: Barcelona has piled up 9 points out of a possible 9 and sits atop the table with a goal difference of +10, by far the best mark in the league. The latest evidence of that offensive firepower came in a 5-2 rout of Rayo Vallecano, a match that made clear Hansi Flick may have on his hands the most lethal attack in the league this season. With Lamine Yamal tearing defenses apart out wide and Raphinha playing some of his best soccer, it's hard to find anyone capable of slowing this team down at the start of the campaign.

On the other side, the picture couldn't be more different. Carlos Corberan's Valencia simply can't find its footing: just 1 point from a possible nine, the product of a draw and two losses, leaves the club in the relegation zone. The most recent setback stung, a 3-1 loss to Deportivo La Coruna that raised more questions than answers. To make matters worse, Corberan will have to make do without at least six players for various reasons, a headache that complicates any game plan against a rival of this caliber.

How both sides arrive

Playing at Mestalla always counts for something, that home field edge that has bailed out Valencia against the big clubs plenty of times before. But Corberan's options are running thin. Given the absences piling up, the lineup he can field will largely hinge on who's fit and available right up until kickoff. Among the names expected to feature for the home side are Stole Dimitrievski in goal, Pepelu anchoring the midfield and Javi Guerra tasked with winning the battles in the middle of the park.

For Barcelona, Flick has little reason to tinker with a team that's clicking. Joan Garcia should continue in net, with Cancelo and Gerard Martin patrolling the flanks and a midfield pairing of Fermin and Rodri carrying the bulk of the buildup play. Up top, the Lamine Yamal, Raphinha duo, with Adeyemi leading the line, figures to keep constant pressure on Dimitrievski's goal.

The match is set for Monday, August 31 at Mestalla, kicking off at 9:15 am in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru (8:15 am in Mexico City, 10:15 am in Chile and US Eastern time, 11:15 am in Argentina and Uruguay). For Valencia, this is close to a must-win game already, a chance to grab its first three points of the season and put a dent in the perfect start of a Barcelona team that, so far, has shown no mercy to anyone in LaLiga.