Barcelona vs. Real Valladolid live score, updates, highlights from La Liga Sunday match

After discovering their road to the Champions League knockout stage will be an arduous one, Barcelona return to the pitch on Sunday hoping to further enhance their La Liga form as they host newly-promoted Real Valladolid at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona were slotted into the clear “Group of Death” in the 2022/23 Champions League alongside Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. The Blaugrana, therefore, will look to improve form quickly before the group stage begins in early September.

The Catalan club were held to a scoreless draw in the season’s opening match before improving marginally in the subsequent 4-1 win over Real Sociedad. The first half against La Real served to further highlight Barcelona’s deficiencies, but the introduction of Ansu Fati early in the second-half proved vital to a turnaround. Barcelona deployed fringe players in a midweek charity friendly against Manchester City that ended in a 3-3 draw.

Meanwhile, Valladolid were blasted by Villarreal 3-0 in their first fixture back in the Spanish top-flight, but they managed a turnaround with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Sevilla in Matchweek 2. The club is owned by former Brazilian international Ronaldo, who purchased a 51 per cent stake in the club in 2018.

MORE: Barcelona drawn in Champions League Group of Death alongside Bayern, Inter

The Sporting News will be following the match live and providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.

Barcelona vs. Real Valladolid live score

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Barcelona vs. Real Valladolid live updates, highlights, commentary

Pre-Match: Barcelona vs. Real Valladolid (kickoff at 7:30pm local CEST)

15 mins to kick: Barcelona have won 14 of the last 15 meetings with Real Valladolid, with just a 1-0 league defeat in 2014 as the only blemish. It will take a heroic effort for the newly-promoted side to buck that trend today!

26 mins to kick: Barcelona midfielder Gavi, still just 18 years old, will reach a half-century of Spanish top flight appearances today. Quite the accomplishment.

50 – Gavi 🇪🇸 will make his 50th appearance for Barcelona in all competitions, becoming the first LaLiga player born in 2003 or later to reach this figure across all competitions. Reality. pic.twitter.com/DGzuvhnpWH

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) August 28, 2022

55 mins to kick: Starters are in, and new signing Jules Kounde, just registered for La Liga action, is in the lineup for Barcelona. He partners with Eric Garcia in defense, dropping Andreas Christensen to the bench. Kounde struggled at times as he earned minutes in the midweek charity friendly against Man City, it will be interesting to see how he performs against Real Valladolid.

For Valladolid, it’s nearly the same lineup from last match, with just captain Roque Mesa dropping to the bench in midfield, with 22-year-old Monchu favored.

87 mins to kick: It’s been a warm day in Spain, which will likely see water breaks taken in both halves. Currently, it’s 84°F/29°C in Barcelona, with temperatures steadily sliding lower through the evening. Appears to be some slight wind too.

⛳️ The corner flags are ready for the game pic.twitter.com/JBFOGoMewx

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 28, 2022

110 mins to kick: Real Valladolid will be glad not to see Lionel Messi in the opposition squad as the two teams meet in La Liga play. The former Barcelona superstar scored eight goals in 11 league matches against Real Valladolid, but his terrorizing didn’t end there. He had moments of brilliance, such as this incredible run to assist a goal by Pedro back in May of 2010. Messi would also bag a brace in this match as Barcelona won 4-0.

Pedro 🆚 Valladolid
Messi 🤯 pic.twitter.com/W66bIUJvxm

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 28, 2022

120 mins to kick: Barcelona manager Xavi will have fond memories of matching up against Real Valladolid, having scored his first-ever La Liga goal for Barcelona against the side.

🔙 Some years ago 🆚 Valladolid
Xavi scored his first LaLiga goal for Barça ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/eNum86Hedg

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 28, 2022

Barcelona vs. Real Valladolid lineups & team news

Having seen Samuel Umtiti leave on loan for Italian side Lecce, Barca were able at last to complete the registration of defender Jules Kounde. The defender will now make his debut this weekend, replacing Andreas Christensen who is ill.

The introduction of young winger Ansu Fati was critical to the 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad last weekend, but he begins yet again on the bench. Ferran Torres, the man he replaced last weekend, has been ineffective so far, and he drops out as well. Xavi has a weekly decision to make between right-sided wingers Raphinha and Ousmane Dembele, although this time he gives both a start, with one to play on the left.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Frenkie de Jong, both of whom are linked with moves to other clubs this summer, don’t feature from the start, with Robert Lewandowski leading the line and Sergio Busquets back from suspension. Sergino Dest is another who could depart after not being left out of the squad for the third straight league match.

Young left-back Alex Balde played very well against Real Sociedad, starting over Jordi Alba, and could be given another opportunity to be a difference-maker. Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen have been Xavi’s preferred center-back pairing thus far, preferred over longtime Barcelona veteran Gerard Pique.

Barcelona starting lineup (4-3-3): Ter Stegen (GK) — Balde, Garcia, Kounde, Araujo — Gavi, Busquets, Pedri — Dembele, Lewandowski, Raphinha.

Barcelona subs (12): Pena (GK), Tenas (GK), Alba, Pique, Roberto, Pjanic, Kessie, de Jong, Fati, F. Torres, Depay, Aubameyang.

It’s possible that Real Valladolid manager Pacheta makes a change in goal. Starter Sergio Asenjo made a massive error late last weekend allowing Sevilla to level the score at 1-1 and earn a draw. Asenjo, acquired this summer from Villarreal after he lost his place there, could be replaced by long-time Valladolid goalkeeper Jordi Masip who started through last season’s promotion campaign and has been with the club since a move from Barcelona in 2017.

Elsewhere, center-back Jawad El Yamiq is suspended for the match after receiving a red card in last weekend’s game. He was sent off from the bench after already having been substituted off, red carded alongside Sevilla defender Marcos Acuna, who had also already been withdrawn.

Striker Sergi Guardiola, back from his loan last year at Rayo Vallecano, is yet to get off the mark this season. Former Sevilla and Swansea field general Roque Mesa is the club’s captain, but he drops to the bench surprisingly for Monchu in midfield.

Real Valladolid projected starting lineup (4-3-3): Masip (GK) — Escudero, J. Fernandez, J. Sanchez, L. Perez — Aguado, Monchu, K. Perez — Anuar, Guardiola, I. Sanchez.

Real Valladolid subs (11): (Lineups released one hour prior to kickoff)

𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. 🍍💪 pic.twitter.com/lljTkm5kAA

— Real Valladolid CF 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realvalladolidE) August 26, 2022

How to watch Barcelona vs. Real Valladolid

UK: Sunday’s match between Barcelona and Real Valladolid from Camp Nou will be broadcast in the United Kingdom on Premier Sports 1 and LaLigaTV, with streaming available on Premier Player HD.

USA: La Liga matches all season long can be seen in the United States exclusively on ESPN’s subscription-based streaming service ESPN+.

Canada: La Liga matches can be seen in Canada all season long on TSN, with this particular match available on TSN4, as well as streaming on TSN.com and the TSN app.

Australia: Australia’s sole broadcaster for La Liga is Optus Sport, who also carries the Premier League after signing a new deal with the English top flight through 2028.

MORE: Barcelona draw 3-3 with Man City in midweek charity match to benefit ALS research

Barcelona vs. Real Valladolid betting odds, lines, picks & prediction

Odds via DraftKings (USA), Sports Interaction (Canada), & SkyBet (UK).

Like La Real, Valladolid could give Barcelona trouble with a tenacious showing in midfield, but it likely won’t last.

The Catalan side are too strong and too talented to be held down for long, and the options for Xavi off the bench are unmatched in European play. Expect Barcelona to overwhelm the newly-promoted side in the second half.

Pick: Highest scoring half — 2nd half (-115 on DraftKings)

Prediction: Barcelona 3-0 Real Valladolid