Barcelona have a must-win game against El Submarino Amarillo.
Form
In the league, Barcelona are in decent form with nine points from the last five games. However, these games were all before the winter break. The only game they have played since then was the 2-1 defeat to Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey. Therefore, which Barcelona side will turn up for this game is a mystery. Hopefully, it’s the one that is capable of beating anyone because this will be a tough game.
Villarreal went into the winter break on a good run with seven points from their last three games which included a win against Atlético Madrid. Similar to Barca, they have also lost the only game they have played since the winter break, which was a 3-1 loss away to Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey. At home, they are a scary proposition, though. Nineteen points from eight games with only one loss is an impressive record to have, so Estadio El Madrigal is a bit of a fortress currently.
Squads
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The Catalans have a few injuries to deal with, but nothing too major. Jasper Cillessen is still out with a calf injury, but he was unlikely to start anyway. Carles Aleñá and Marc Cardona are both out as well, but this was too important of a fixture for them to play regardless. Barça have a full strength first team to deploy for this match, which is great news. Interestingly, Ivan Rakitić has been left out of the squad due to his poor form.
In contrast, Villarreal have a few injuries to key players. Cédric Bakambu and Roberto Soldado are both out, which reduces their goal-scoring threat considerably. Denis Cheryshev and Antonio Rukavina could both be back for the match, although Rukavina is unlikely to start due to not being first choice right-back.
Next: Barcelona squad announced for the Villarreal match
History
Recent history between the two favours Barcelona with four wins in the last five games and eight wins in the last ten games in all competitions. In terms of the league specifically, Villarreal haven’t won since 2008. Since then, Barcelona have won eleven games and there has been four draws, in this fixture, in the league. In the last ten games, there has been thirty-four goals, so goals are usually common in this match. However, Villarreal have been strong defensively this season, so this game may buck the trend.
Related Story: Luis Enrique's comments on the upcoming match
Playing Style
As mentioned above, Villarreal have focused on having a strong defensive base. Eleven goals conceded in sixteen games is impressive, and is currently the best defensive record in the league. They like to dictate possession, but are equally capable on the counter-attack. Against Barcelona, they will probably have to rely on the counter-attack because Sergio Busquets should be dictating the tempo of the match from midfield.
Barcelona will have to defend well on the wings because Villarreal have more than capable wingers in Jonathan Dos Santos and Roberto Soriano. This will be a big test for Sergi Roberto, and it’s important that he gets the balance right between providing an attacking threat and doing his defensive duties. El Submarino Amarillo usually play with two strikers as well, which isn’t common in Spain, so the centre-backs will have to be at the top of their game to deal with the chemistry between the two. Barcelona can take advantage of this, though, because they should be able to dictate possession easily, and cutting through two banks of four shouldn’t be too much of a challenge for the creative individuals that Barcelona have. Andrés Iniesta will be key in this match because they will be relying on his link-up play with the midfield and the front three to break open Villarreal.
Prediction: Villarreal CF 0-2 FC Barcelona
Predicted Lineup
André Gomes instead of Denis Suárez is a possibility.