Barcelona looks to make back-to-back wins under new coach Xavi this weekend when they come against Villarreal in the La Liga. The match is scheduled for Saturday Estadio de la Ceramica with kickoff at 11 pm.
Barcelona has endured a miserable campaign so far, sitting in the seventh position in La Liga, 10 points behind leaders Real Madrid.
Villarreal has won three, drawn seven and lost three of their 13 league matches this season.
They have a record of 16 points in the 12th position in the table, which is disappointing considering their squad’s strength.
So far, they have been beaten by both Real Madrid and Sevilla. Despite these losses, they have held onto 12th position in the table ahead of Malaga and Valencia.
Barcelona was held to a goalless draw by Benfica in Group E of the Champions League on Tuesday and must therefore beat Bayern Munich at home next month to reach the last 16.
Despite the club’s financial problems, Barcelona is planning to be active during the January transfer window.
For a club of Barcelona’s stature, recent results haven’t been reasonably as expected. This season has been a tough one to date for the Blaugrana, who sit seventh in the table, 10 points behind division leaders Real Madrid.
Villarreal vs Barcelona Head to Head
Both sides have 34 games against each other, with hosts taking three wins while hosts with 24 wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Villarreal 0-2 Man United
- Celta Vigo 1-1 Villarreal
- Villarreal 1-0 Getafe
- Villarreal 2-0 Young Boys
- Valencia 2-0 Villarreal
Away
- Barcelona 0-0 Benfica
- Barcelona 1-0 Espanyol
- Celta Vigo 3-3 Barcelona
- Dynamo Kyiv 0-1 Barcelona
- Barcelona 1-1 Deportivo Alaves
Villarreal Team News
Villarreal was without Gerard Moreno for the loss at Celta Vigo, which left them in 12th place, and he is likely to miss this weekend’s trip due to a hamstring injury.
Barcelona Team News
Sergi Roberto, Pedri, Ansu Fati, Sergio Aguero, and Martin Braithwaite are all unavailable for Barcelona’s game, while Ronald Araujo is doubtful.
Ousmane Dembele could be back in the team after a spell on the sidelines, while Oscar Mingueza could make his first start of the season at right-back.
Prediction and Odds
After a disappointing loss to Man United, we expect the Yellow Submarines to make it difficult for the La Blaugrana.
- Barcelona Win
- Goals Under 3.5
- Both Teams to Score
