Villarreal vs Barcelona Tips & Preview - Catalans to overcome stuttering hosts

By Tolu Shotade

1 hour ago

Tolu Shotade 1 hour ago

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Barcelona aiming to extend their lead in La Liga against Villarreal.
Villarreal struggling with recent defeats and defensive issues.
Barcelona won nine of the last twelve meetings with Villarreal.

Villarreal vs Barcelona

Barcelona travel to Villarreal for a Spanish La Liga clash on Sunday as they look to extend their lead at the top of the table.

The Catalans are showing some good form at the moment and also boast a solid record at the Estadio de la Ceramica. They should get the better of the hosts, who have looked a bit off colour lately.

Villarreal News

Villarreal have caught the eye this season and currently sit third in the table, eight points behind the leaders. They have won their last three La Liga home matches, earning a 2-0 victory over Getafe in their previous fixture.

However, it has been mostly downhill since that win as they have lost their last two matches. They suffered a 3-2 home defeat to Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League before falling 2-1 at Racing Santander in the Copa Del Rey.

One of the problems for Villarreal is an inability to maintain their discipline at the back, having failed to keep a clean sheet in six of their last seven matches across all competitions. Marcelino's team have also conceded in the first half in their last two matches.

Barcelona News

Barcelona remain the team to beat in Spain and have won their last six matches across all competitions. Hansi Flick's team have claimed 2-0 victories in their last two matches, beating Osasuna in La Liga and following it up with a victory in the Copa Del Rey.

The Catalans are now four points clear at the top of the table and will be keen to strengthen their lead. They have done some good work on their recent travels, winning three of their last four away matches across all competitions.

Barcelona have one of the best attacks in La Liga and have scored a first-half goal in three of their last four league matches. They have also opened the scoring in their last two matches.

Head to Head

Barcelona have nine wins while Villarreal have picked up three victories in the last 12 matches. The visitors also triumphed 5-1 in last season's away meeting.

Verdict

Villarreal v Barcelona

Barcelona have a knack for finding the net in the first half and should maintain that trend, having scored before the break in three of their last four La Liga matches. Having also grabbed the opening goal in their last two matches, a repeat could also be on the cards here.

The Catalans have won their last six matches and will be feeling confident here. They should overcome Villarreal, who have been below their best lately.

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