Roberto Soldado

Former Getafe striker Soldado has pushed his claim to be the principal striker for Los Che with five goals in three game league games so far this season – including a hat-trick in a 4-3 win against Racing Santander on the opening weekend of the Spanish season – and will be desperate to show former Mestalla favourite Villa he is not missed.

Villa – who scored 107 league goals in five seasons for Valencia, before leaving for Camp Nou at the start of last season – has had to play second fiddle to free-scoring Argentinian maestro Lionel Messi but finally opened his campaign with a brace in the 8-0 rout of Osasuna at the weekend.

The World Cup winner missed the corresponding fixture at Mestalla last season (which Barca won 1-0), but will be anxious to put one over his former employers.

Soldado, given his start to the season, is a wholly attractive 9/4 to score anytime against Barca. He is also a speculative 8/1 to score first, which he has done is two of Valencia’s three La Liga games so far.

Villa cannot be ignored at 5/4 to score anytime with the incentive of going back to the Mestalla, while Barca can be backed at 1/3 in the To Score First Goal market, which is priced accordingly given that this bet would have landed in all of their three La Liga games so far.

Gerard Pique, who suffered a calf injury during training for the Spanish Super Cup on August 23, took part in training on Monday but Pep Guardiola has given no indication whether he will replace makeshift central defender Javier Mascherano.

Elsewhere in La Liga on Wednesday, Real Madrid should get back on track against winless Racing Santander at Campos de Sport de El Sardinero (Racing Santander 11/1, draw 5/1, Real Madrid 2/9 – Match Prices).

Atletico Madrid will be hoping to make it three clean sheets on the bounce in all competitions, when they play host to basement club Sporting Gijon (Atletico Madrid 2/5, draw 10/3, Sporting Gijon 13/2 – Match Prices).

And this summer’s big-spenders Malaga will be expected to collect maximum points and keep a third La Liga clean sheet against strugglers Athletic Bilbao (Malaga 4/6, draw 11/4, Athletic Bilbao 4/1 – Match Prices).

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