La Liga: Villarreal vs. Barcelona Preview, Odds, Prediction

Villarreal hosts Barcelona at El Madrigal in what is the main event in La Liga this weekend. The home unit wants to reach the UEFA Champions League, and in order to do so, ending among the top four places is a must. For the moment, Villarreal is close to achieving this, while on the other hand, Barca chases the title, the first in four years, which is a very long period for this club. Xavi and the boys hold the top spot and have a solid advantage over Real. Winning here would be a massive step forward.

Preview

Villarreal (+300) won just once over the recent month, and that immediately saw them slipping down in La Liga standings. They come into this clash after back-to-back defeats, at home to Rayo Vallecano, 0-1 and on the road in Elche, 3-1. 

Prior to that, the Yellow Submarine beat Girona at Madrigal, 1-0, but lost to Real Madrid in Copa Del Rey, 2-3, even though they had a 2-0 lead. It seems that Los Blancos’ comeback left a massive trace on Villarreal’s morale, and even the players didn’t hide that in their statements. 

What gives hope to the home team fans is the very solid record their favorites have at home this year. In nine games, Villarreal posted six wins, one draw and two defeats. Their goal difference during that stretch was 14-7. 

Barcelona (-115) is in perfect form, and that’s why they have eight points more than Real Madrid, the reigning champion and their only rival in this year’s title race. Xavi and the crew won the previous 10 games and beat Los Blancos in the Super Cup during that time, which certainly boosted their morale.

Barca recorded just one draw in the previous 13 games (the other 12 are wins), and there couldn’t be better proof that this team is in good shape. Yes, they might not play as attractively as in the past, but the results are good. 

Lewandowski, Pedri, Gavi, and the rest love playing on the road because their rivals aren’t defending like when they appear at Camp Nou. This opens up the space for a fantastic transition, which is why Barcelona scores more goals away from home. 

Latest News

Nicolas Jackson and Giovani Lo Celso are both doubtful for Saturday, while Alfonzo Pedraza remains out of the protocol. 

Ousmane Dembele is injured and out, and that’s something that isn’t news anymore. Also, the veteran Sergio Busquets is out for this event. 

Head to Head Games

Barca blitzed Villarreal in the first meeting this year, scoring three goals inside the opening 45 minutes, twice through Lewandowski and once by Fati. After that, Blaugrana locked the midfield and took three points, by slowing down the pace.

Prediction

The odds of Barca’s win are very good, and we have to risk and bet on the guests’ win. Villarreal experienced some glitches in its game, and overall, they aren’t playing as they did at the start of the campaign. This makes our pick even more tempting, and we are going with it. 

Pick: Barcelona wins -115