RC Deportivo vs Valencia: Riazor Offers Dépor a Chance to Turn Promising Starts Into a First Victory

Two unbeaten starts have given RC Deportivo a platform, but not yet the victory they want, and Valencia arrive in A Coruña looking for their first three-point haul of the campaign.
Antonio Hidalgo’s side have taken two points from their opening matches, drawing with Elche and Málaga, while Valencia have one point after a draw with Celta and a narrow defeat against Real Betis.
That leaves both teams with an obvious objective at ABANCA-RIAZOR: convert competitive performances into a result that changes the early table.
The match is scheduled for Sunday, August 30 at 19:30 CEST and represents Deportivo’s first home fixture of the season in this campaign’s third round of LaLiga EA Sports.
Hidalgo has asked his players to be solid defensively, establish themselves more effectively in the opposition half and generate a greater volume of chances.
Carlos Corberán, meanwhile, has insisted that Valencia must go to Riazor looking for the win regardless of which players are available.

The biggest attacking reference for Deportivo is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has already scored twice in the opening two league matches and has immediately become one of the most important figures in Hidalgo’s attack.
His movement gives Deportivo a way to attack space behind defenders, while Bil Nsongo can provide another running option around the central striker depending on Hidalgo’s selection.
Valencia will have to manage that threat without their preferred midfield balance, with Guido Rodríguez ruled out after suffering a quadriceps injury.
Pepelu is therefore expected to take on greater responsibility in the central midfield area, with Javi Guerra also important to Valencia’s progression and pressing structure.
The visitors are also dealing with absences in defence, creating a different kind of tactical problem for Corberán as he prepares his first away match of the season.
The contest could consequently be decided by which side handles the transition between midfield pressure and defensive protection more cleanly.

Deportivo’s preparation has been relatively stable, with the club reporting that the first-team squad trained together ahead of the match apart from academy player Noé, who is recovering from an ankle sprain.
The club also confirmed that Adama Traoré, who only arrived during the week, will not be involved against Valencia because he has had very little time to train with his new teammates.
Yeremay Hernández and David Mella have been progressing physically, but the latest reporting does not put either player in position to return immediately to the starting side.
That leaves Luismi Cruz as an important option on the right, while Mario Soriano is among the candidates for a role on the opposite side of the attacking structure.
Valencia have meanwhile added Arnau Martínez to their defensive options, while Dimitri Foulquier returns to the squad after his recent absence.
Corberán has stressed that Valencia’s system cannot depend on one individual, an especially relevant message given the number of players missing from his preferred selection.

There is also a historical element to the meeting, with Valencia returning to Riazor for the first time in more than eight years and the club recalling its previous 1-2 victory at the stadium in January 2018.
The present circumstances are very different, however, with Deportivo newly back in the top flight and attempting to establish themselves after promotion.
The home side’s two draws have shown resilience but also underline why Hidalgo wants greater authority in the opposition half rather than simply remaining competitive.
For Valencia, the priority is equally straightforward after a goalless attacking return against Real Betis left Corberán demanding greater collective responsibility in front of goal.
The pre-match conversation has therefore centred more on squad balance, attacking efficiency and defensive organisation than on a single headline matchup.
Riazor could become the place where one of these two sides finally turns a cautious opening into genuine momentum, without either team needing to abandon the identity it has been building.

🩺 Current Injury & Availability Report

RC Deportivo

Important: Noé Carrillo is an academy player rather than a regular first-team member. RC Deportivo’s latest training report states that the rest of the squad trained on the pitch, while Noé continued recovering from his ankle sprain. The club’s matchday information also states that the first-team squad was otherwise available.

Valencia CF

Medical-status note: Valencia’s official medical reports confirm the injuries to Guido Rodríguez and Justin De Haas, while coach Carlos Corberán confirmed Maffeo and Copete among the absences for Riazor.

📋 Projected Matchday Elevens

Lineup status: The official starting XIs had not yet been released when this preview was prepared. The following are projected selections based on the latest pre-match team news and are not presented as confirmed lineups.

RC Deportivo — 4-4-2

Valencia CF — 4-2-3-1

Correction to the projection: Javi Guerra should not occupy two positions. The latest reporting points to a midfield built around Pepelu, Javi Guerra and Ugrinic, with Sato and Danjuma providing the wide attacking roles. The projected Valencia XI should therefore be read as a tactical indication rather than a confirmed team sheet.

⭐ Personnel Who Could Define the Evening

📰 What Is Being Discussed Before Kickoff

• Deportivo have two points from two matches and are still unbeaten after draws against Elche and Málaga.
• Valencia have one point and are coming off a 0-1 home defeat against Real Betis.
• Antonio Hidalgo has called for Deportivo to become more solid defensively and create a greater volume of chances in the opposition half.
• Carlos Corberán says Valencia must go to Riazor looking for the victory regardless of which players are available.
• Guido Rodríguez is officially unavailable after Valencia confirmed a right-quadriceps injury requiring treatment and rehabilitation.
• The fixture is Valencia’s first visit to Riazor in more than eight years, with their previous visit ending in a 1-2 Valencia victory in January 2018.

The Midfield Problem Behind the Result

The central question is whether Deportivo can push Valencia backward often enough to make Aubameyang’s movement decisive rather than isolated.
Hidalgo wants his team to establish itself higher up the pitch, and that requires Amatucci and his midfield partner to receive the ball under pressure without losing the territorial advantage.
Valencia face a different problem because Guido Rodríguez’s absence removes an important defensive and positional reference from the centre.
Pepelu therefore has greater responsibility for protecting the back line while Guerra can be asked to carry more of the progressive work.
If Deportivo succeed in forcing Valencia into a deeper block, the home side may have the sustained pressure it has been missing in the opening two rounds.
If Valencia escape that pressure and find Danjuma or Sato early in transition, Riazor could become a much more open tactical contest than the league positions initially suggest.