Barcelona vs Villarreal Preview: Where to Watch, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News
Barcelona host Villarreal in La Liga on Sunday, with an eye on their first win in two games and a possible return to the summit of the table.
The Blaugrana beat PSV Eindhoven 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, further reinforcing their qualification to the round of 16 and will be looking to bounce back from a rare defeat at the hands Real Betis followed by the most recent 1-1 draw with Atlético Madrid.
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Villarreal, meanwhile, are seeking only their fourth win of what has been a rather disappointing start to their campaign. The Yellow Submarine sit 16th on the table, just three points above the relegation zone and their task doesn't get any easier with a trip to the Camp Nou.
Check out 90min's preview for the game below.
How to Watch
When Is Kick Off? | Sunday 2 December |
What Time Is Kick Off? | 17:30 (BST) |
Where Is It Played? | Camp Nou |
TV Channel/Live Stream? | Eleven Sports |
Referee? | Munuera Montero |
Team News
Barcelona remain without striker Luis Suárez, who has suffered a knee injury that could potentially rule him out for two weeks.
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This only adds to the Blaugrana's injury woes, as midfielders Arthur and Sergi Roberto are also sidelined and Samuel Umtiti faces a late fitness test after missing the game against PSV with a knee injury.
Manu Trigueros is fit to make his 13th start of the campaign for Villarreal after overcoming an injury scare to feature in the Europa League on Thursday, but Javier Calleja's men are sweating over the fitness of midfielders Bruno Soriano, Manuel Iturra and Javi Fuego.
Predicted Lineups
Barcelona | Ter Stegen; Semedo, Piqué, Umtiti, Alba; Busquets, Vidal, Rakitić; Dembélé, Messi, Coutinho. |
Villarreal | Asenjo; Mario, Funes Mori, Ruiz, Pedraza Sag; Cáseres, Trigueros, Cazorla, Fornals; Chukwueze, Gerard. |
Head to Head Record
There have been 36 league fixtures to date between Barcelona and Villarreal, with the defending champions winning 20 and the Yellow Submarine boasting eight victories over the Blaugrana. There have been eight draws between the Spanish sides.
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The last time these two teams met was at the Camp Nou in May, when Barça defeated their opponents 5-1 courtesy of goals from Philippe Coutinho, Paulinho, Lionel Messi and a brace from Ousmane Dembélé.
Valverde's men will undoubtedly be keen to record a similar scoreline come Sunday.
Recent Form
Barcelona's Champions League form has been nothing short of exceptional, as they've won four and drawn one of their five games.
Their recent league form, however, has been somewhat underwhelming, with the Blaugrana winning only one of their three La Liga matches since a 5-1 thrashing of Real Madrid in El Clasico.
Barcelona's defensive record is also concerning. Valverde's men have the joint worst record in the top six for goals conceded (19 alongside Madrid) and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has kept only two clean sheets.
On the upturn, the Catalans are the league's top scorers, but should improve their fortunes at the back lest it ruins all their good work at the front.
Villarreal have been poor in La Liga, to say the least, with just a single win in their last seven matches in the top flight. Their Europa League campaign casts a more positive picture, however, as they sit top of Group G, with a good chance to earn qualification to the next round.
Here's how each team has performed in their last five fixtures:
Barcelona | Villarreal |
PSV Eindhoven 1-2 Barcelona (28/11) | Rangers 0-0 Villarreal (29/11) |
Atletico Madrid 1-1 Barcelona (24/11) | Villarreal 2-1 Real Betis (25/11) |
Barcelona 3-4 Real Betis (11/11) | Rayo Vallecano 2-2 Villarreal (11/11) |
Inter 1-1 Barcelona (6/11) | Rapid Wien 0-0 Villarreal (8/11) |
Rayo Vallecano 2-3 Barcelona (3/11) | Villarreal 1-1 Levante (4/11) |
Prediction
This fixture presents a good chance for the home side to return to winning ways, as travelling Villarreal's form over the past month has been desperately poor, despite a rare win over Betis in their last game.
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Barça will be confident of adding to their 26 goals at the Camp Nou so far, with their front three once again set to be key to their chances of winning the match.
Prediction: Barcelona 3-0 Villarreal
