Tension Mounts in Valencia Ahead of Barcelona Clash

The hours leading up to the clash between Valencia and Barcelona are set to be exceptionally tense for the home supporters. The president of "Los Che" landed in the city via private jet on Sunday, just hours before the match at Mestalla. According to reports from "AS," his presence in the executive box has not been officially confirmed by the club, but he is expected to attend the stadium.

Lim's arrival comes at a particularly delicate time for Valencia. Carlos Corberán's team has secured only one point out of a possible nine in the first three rounds of La Liga. Furthermore, the transfer market has fueled fan discontent, leading to various planned protest actions against the owner and management. Consequently, the atmosphere around Mestalla is expected to be highly charged before the game.

It's worth recalling that earlier this year, in the final round of the previous championship and again before a match against Barça, incidents occurred around the stadium. Local fans then lit flares and threw objects at the police, chanting "Let's get them" after the Catalan team's bus arrived.

This situation also has Barcelona closely monitoring the hours before the match, albeit for different reasons. The Catalan club is concerned as this will be the first away game for their fans since the incidents around the Martínez Valero stadium before their season opener against Elche.

The club has not forgotten that episode, which saw clashes between "Blaugrana" fans and national police officers before the match, with security organized by the same police forces. Barcelona publicly condemned the events at the time, describing the use of force against one of their supporters as "disproportionate," and demanded an explanation for the police's actions.

On the technical and sporting front, Barcelona arrives in Valencia with the opportunity to take sole leadership of the league standings. Hansi Flick's team has won their first three matches, accumulating nine points, while Real Madrid lost 0-1 to Betis in Seville on Friday.