INTRODUCTION
Barcelona look to get back to winning ways as they embark on 3 successive games at the Camp Nou in SIX days, starting with the Yellow Submarines.
Last week was nothing but a nightmare for Xavi's men; their fantastic La Liga run ended with an unceremonious defeat at the Estádio Santiago Bernabeu. The consequences of the injuries sustained by the defensive line during the international break have come to the fore, and Xavi will want to steady the ship as soon as possible to avoid dropping more points.
Villarreal have had an inconsistent start to the season, but having qualified for the Knockouts in the UECL, they can now shift their primary focus to improving their standings in La Liga. No sterner test than the visit to the Camp Nou, even though they won on the same ground in the last game of the previous season. Barcelona had already achieved the minimum objectives by then. This time, circumstances differ.
INTERESTING STATS
Barça went on an incredible spree of 27 games without defeat to the ‘Yellow Submarine’ in all competitions.
That run came to an end in May of this year when Villarreal beat the Catalans in the last game of the 2021/22 season.
- Barcelona have won their last three home matches in La Liga.
- Villarreal have failed to score in their last four away matches in La Liga.
- Barcelona have kept a clean sheet in their last four home matches in La Liga.
- Barcelona have scored 15 goals in their last six meetings against Villarreal.
Last five games (all La Liga)
22/05/22 Barça 0-2 Villarreal
27/11/21 Villarreal 1-3 Barça
25/04/21 Villarreal 1-2 Barça
27/09/20 Barça 4-0 Villarreal
05/07/20 Villarreal 1-4 Barça
TEAM NEWS
Barcelona
Long-term absentees Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen and Memphis Depay remain unavailable to Xavi. Hector Bellerin makes an auspicious return to the squad, although he's not expected to start. After seeing what's transpired in their last 3 games, Xavi is expected to make changes here, especially in midfield and attack. Jules Kounde will certainly start this one, who starts alongside him is up for debate. Frank Kessie and Frenkie DeJong are both tipped to be heavily involved in this clash, with Busquets probably taking a back seat. Pedri will need a deserved rest for what's to come and so might sit this one out as well.
Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati both had good cameos over the weekend and could start alongside Robert Lewandowski over Raphinha and Dembele.
Villarreal
The Yellow Submarines are nursing their fair share of injuries in the form of Foyth, Moreno and Coquelin. Femenia and Lo Celso are also doubts. That being said, they have capable deputies for these players and as such, their absence might not be felt so much.
Arnaut Danjuma was the target man against Osasuna and will likely feature alongside Pino and Jackson in front. So much pace that Barcelona's defense must be prepared to handle. El Commandante is yet to be fully utilized by Emery in La Liga, but given his favorable record against the Catalans, it should be no surprise to see him in the starting line up. Parejo will certainly dictate things in Midfield.
Rulli has been quite exceptional so far and will guard the post behind, Albiol and Torres. Pedraza and Mandi will hold the FB positions.
Where and When are Barcelona vs Villarreal playing?
- Location: Barcelona, Spain
- Stadium: Spotify Camp Nou
- Date: Thursday 20 October
- Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 EST / 12:00 PST
- VAR: TBC
- Referee: TBC
CONCLUSION
Villarreal currently boast the best defense in the league at this stage of the season and are capable of causing Barcelona problems on their best day, but Barcelona will want to roar back to winning ways and this kind of game is the perfect opportunity to display their superiority and mute doubts.
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