La Liga: Villarreal Could Do With a Big Result Over Barcelona

Villarreal vs Barcelona

Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres said that they are not afraid of the daunting task of trying to beat Barcelona when these two clubs meet at the Estadio de la Ceramica this Sunday.

It’s easier said than done, and the odds are against them when they host the Catalan giants. But if anything, they’ll use this as motivation against the current La Liga leaders.

With poor La Liga 2023 results this past week, Villarreal have lost ground in the race for European football, as they’re in sixth place with 31 points.

Meanwhile, the winning never stops for Barcelona, and they’re seemingly running away with the trophy. So if they win again here, their table lead will be 11 points, and their rivals will find it hard to catch up.

Talking Points

Villarreal lacking teeth

Villarreal are one of the lowest scoring teams in La Liga for the 2022-23 campaign, netting just 22 times in 20 league matches. At the same time, they’ve already conceded 17 goals on the other side of the pitch.

Their recent form has been lacklustre, and it won’t cut it if they plan to play European football next season. They have won just one of their last five games across all competitions, and they were the first side this season to lose to Elche, who are at the bottom of the league.

Gerard Moreno scored the equaliser for Villarreal after Elche took the lead after three minutes, but Pere Milla scored two more to complete his hat-trick and put the game beyond doubt in favour of Elche.

Not only did Villarreal lose, but they are also facing the prospect of not having Moreno this Sunday since he didn’t train with the squad due to an unspecified injury.

And with Arnaut Danjuma off to the Premier League following the most recent transfer window, the Yellow Submarine won’t have the necessary firepower to breach Barcelona’s stingy backline.

In the meantime, Quique Setien will need Alex Baena, Jose Morales, and Samuel Chukwueze to bring their A-game against the Catalan giants at home. The three of them have contributed 16 goals and eight goals so far this season.

Nicolas Jackson is also a key player in this contest. After a failed transfer to Bournemouth, the 21-year-old can prove to Villarreal’s higher-ups why he shouldn’t have been offered to them in the first place.

Raphinha and Kessie will help Barcelona

Robert Lewandowski may be the frontrunner for the La Liga Golden Boot, but he has been getting help from elsewhere in terms of goals.

Ousmane Dembele is Barca’s second-leading scorer with six goals, but he’ll be out in the meantime due to a strained thigh. The good thing for them is that Raphinha has stepped up in his absence, and the former Leeds man has already recorded four goals and six assists.

Sergio Busquets is also unavailable after he twisted his ankle against Sevilla, so Franck Kessie might start in his place alongside Pedri and Frenkie de Jong in midfield, as he played some great minutes against Sevilla, teeing up Jordi Alba for their first goal.

History

Barcelona are undefeated in their last 10 away games against sides from the Valenciana community in La Liga (W9, D1), including each of their last five, which is their longest away winning run against such opposition in this tournament.

After consecutive league victories against Barcelona between 2007 and 2008, Villarreal have won only one of their last 27 meetings against the Catalan giants in the top-flight (D6, L20), a 2-0 result in May last year.

Villarreal were pummeled by Barcelona in the reverse fixture last October as Robert Lewandowski (brace) and Ansu Fati scored three quick-fire goals in the first half en route to a 3-0 result at Camp Nou.

The Yellow Submarine are in the midst of a two-game losing streak, and if they lose on Sunday, it’ll mark the first time since March 2020 (under Javier Calleja) that they’ve lost three in a row.

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP La Liga 2023 odds favour Barcelona since they’re the form team in the Spanish top-flight at the moment. The visitors are installed at 1.83 to win, while hosts Villarreal are priced at 4.10, and a draw is at 3.60 in the 1X2 market.

Total Goal 2-3 @ 1.96 and Over 2.50 @ 1.79 are alternative bets to think about, and it is highly likely that Barcelona players are going to be the ones who supply the goals at Estadio de la Ceramica.

 

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