Damage limitation, and a fifth consecutive Copa del Rey, will be the prize if Barcelona beat Valencia on Saturday as their rejuvenated opponents eye a final flourish to their remarkable comeback season. Victory for Barca would only slightly alleviate the disappointment of failing in the Champions League but another defeat, less than three weeks after the collapse at Anfield, would plunge the club back into crisis. For Valencia, the possibilities are more positive, given a loss in Seville is expected, while a win would turn a decent campaign into a sensational one.

The numbers favour Barcelona. Twenty-six points separate the two sides in the table, with Barca scoring more goals than Valencia have scored and let in put together. Valencia's captain Dani Parejo finished their top scorer on nine goals, the same number Lionel Messi had hit before the middle of November. And Valencia have beaten Barcelona only once in 14 attempts, without a success in any of their last eight meetings. But the records ignore trajectory and momentum. Barca look like a side still hurting, eager to end the season and begin recovering over the summer. Valencia are flying high, fresh from a late surge that saw them snatch fourth place on Saturday. After beating Real Valladolid, Valencia's players celebrated like they had won a trophy. "It wasn't easy to turn it around," said coach Marcelino. "But we did it."