Both Barcelona and Villarreal will look to keep their winning streak intact when they square up against each other on Sunday.
La Liga table-toppers Barcelona will look to strengthen their position at the top of the table, while Villarreal will look to close the gap. With two games in hand, a win here could help the Yellow Submarine eye the top spot.
The home team are third on the table with 35 points in their 15 outings. They are eight points behind the Catalan giants, but do have two games in hand. Meanwhile, Villarreal are on a six-match winning streak in the league.
While they did secure a 2-0 win over Getafe in their last league outing, the Yellow Submarine are heading into this fixture on the back of consecutive defeats at the hands of FC Copenhagen (2-3 in UEFA Champions League) and Real Racing Club (1-2 in Copa del Rey).
Villarreal will be eager to return to winning ways when they square up against Barcelona, who are top of the table with 43 points in their 17 outings. The Catalan giants have won each of their last seven league outings.
The Blaugrana have won their last six games across competitions, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of a comfortable 2-0 win over Guadalajara in the Copa del Rey. They will be confident about their chances, but taking down an in-form Villarreal team won’t be that easy. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Villarreal
Villarreal will be without the services of as many as nine first-team players for this important fixture against Barcelona. Willy Kambwala, Logan Costa, Pau Cabanes, Ramon Terrats, Thomas Partey, Gerard Moreno, and Santiago Mourino are all out injured, while Pape Gueye and Ilias Akhomach are away on international duty for the African Cup of Nations.
The home team will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Luiz Junior will take charge in goal. Pau Navarro and Sergi Cardona will feature as the full-backs, while Juan Foyth should pair up with Renato Veiga in the heart of the defence.
Tajon Buchanan and Alberto Moleiro will feature out wide on the flanks, while Dani Parejo and Santi Comesana will feature as the two central midfielders. Meanwhile, Georges Mikautadze will pair up with Ayoze Perez in the strike partnership.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Junior; Navarro, Foyth, Veiga, Cardona; Buchanan, Parejo, Comesana, Moleiro; Perez, Mikautadze
Barcelona
Gavi, Ronald Araujo, and Dani Olmo are all unavailable, while Pedri is a major doubt after he did not train on Friday because of a calf strain.
Barcelona will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Joan Garcia will be in goal. Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde will be the full-backs, while Pau Cubarsi should partner with Gerard Martin in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Frenkie de Jong will partner with Eric Garcia in the centre of the park. The duo will shield the backline and look to control the tempo of the game.
Fermin Lopez will take up the number ten role, with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal on the flanks. Finally, Ferran Torres will lead the line for Barcelona against Villarreal this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martin, Balde; de Jong, Eric Garcia; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; Torres
Key Stats
- Barcelona have won each of their last seven league games.
- Villarreal have emerged victorious in their last six league outings.
- However, the Yellow Submarine are heading into this one on the back of consecutive defeats.
- The Catalan giants have the best attack in the division, having bagged 49 goals in their 17 outings.
- Villarreal have not beaten Barcelona at home since October 2007, but they have won two out of their last three league meetings.
Player to Watch
Raphinha
While Raphinha has not been able to reach the levels he did last season, he has still been one of their standout performers in La Liga. In his 10 La Liga outings, the 29-year-old winger has six goals and three assists.
Having bagged a brace against Osasuna in their last league outing, Raphinha will be confident about adding to his tally and helping his team go past an in-form Villarreal side. He was rested for their Copa del Rey outing, so the Brazilian will certainly be raring to go here.
Prediction
Villarreal 1-2 Barcelona
Villarreal will look to make the most of home advantage as they aim to bounce back from consecutive cup defeats, but the injury crisis could severely test their depth against a free-scoring Barcelona side. The Yellow Submarine have been outstanding in the league and will fancy their chances of causing problems, especially if they can impose themselves in midfield and take advantage of any lapses at the back.
Barcelona, however, arrive in ruthless form and have shown remarkable consistency in recent weeks. Even with a few key absentees, the Catalan giants possess enough quality and attacking fluidity to edge a closely contested encounter.
If they maintain their composure and take their chances, Flick’s team should have just enough to extend their winning run and strengthen their grip at the top. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for the away team.
