Who: Villareal vs Barcelona
What: Spain’s La Liga
The place: Estadio de la Ceramica in Villareal, Spain
When: Sunday, December 21, at 4:15pm (15:15 GMT)
The best way to observe: We’ll have all of the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 1215 GMT prematurely of our textual content commentary stream. Click on right here to observe our stay protection.
Villarreal has quietly mounted a possible darkish horse title marketing campaign by way of many of the first half of La Liga.
Beneficial Tales
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Now it has an opportunity to make it official when the “Yellow Submarine” host Barcelona on Sunday.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a have a look at a sport that might blow the Spanish prime flight vast open.
How have Villareal fared in La Liga this season?
The workforce coached by Marcelino Garcia Toral is in third place, eight factors behind chief Barcelona and 4 behind second-placed Actual Madrid. Nevertheless it has performed two fewer video games than the powerhouses, so it may simply be in a good stronger place.
Villarreal has disenchanted within the Champions League and was eradicated from the Copa del Rey by a lower-division facet this week. However La Liga is a distinct story. Villarreal is on a six-game profitable run, and its solely two losses have come at Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
Marcelino’s males have additionally turned their La Ceramica stadium right into a fortress, conceding a miserly 4 targets in eight house matches whereas remaining unbeaten and profitable all however a kind of league encounters.
How have Barcelona fared in La Liga this season?
The sport will pit the league’s prime defence in Villarreal, with 13 targets allowed in 17 video games, in opposition to the league’s prime assault. Barcelona has poured in 49 targets in that point – 15 greater than closest challengers Actual – and greater than made up for a generally shaky defence by outscoring its opponents.
Barcelona will look to each quash ideas of a problem by Villarreal and shut 2025 on a excessive observe this weekend.
An eighth consecutive league victory for Lamine Yamal and firm would additionally preserve the stress on a Madrid facet which is struggling.
Madrid hosts Sevilla on Saturday, with coach Xabi Alonso in want of a convincing victory earlier than they’ve the two-week winter break to ponder the workforce’s future.
What occurred in Villareal’s final match?
Including insult to the damage of Villareal’s difficulties outdoors of La Liga this season, they suffered a shock 2-1 Copa del Rey defeat to second-tier Racing de Santander on Wednesday.
Their final La Liga match was on December 6, and was a 2-0 house win in opposition to Girona. In between these two matches, Villareal additionally suffered a 3-2 house defeat by the hands of Copenhagen within the Champions League.
What occurred in Barcelona’s final match?
Andreas Christensen and Marcus Rashford struck late within the sport at hand Barcelona a hard-fought 2-0 victory in opposition to third-tier facet Guadalajara within the Copa del Rey on Tuesday.
Their final La Liga match additionally noticed the Catalans pushed to the restrict by Osasuna with Raphinha netting twice late within the sport to safe a 2-0 win.
What’s the secret of Villareal’s La Liga kind?
Villarreal has based mostly its success on a workforce effort with a number of goal-scorers and playmakers. However left winger Alberto Moleiro stands out. He’s having a breakout first season with the workforce and leads Villarreal with six league targets. Tajon Buchanan has added 5 targets, and midfielder Santi Comesana helps a strong midfield.
What are Barcelona’s challenges of their La Liga defence?
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has thus far succeeded in making a left-side centre-back of Gerard Martin, who struggled to fill in at left again when Alejandro Balde was injured late final season.
Martin has 5 consecutive begins within the centre of the line of defense as Flick tries to discover a alternative for Inigo Martínez, who left earlier within the 12 months for Saudi Arabia. Martin could also be examined by Villarreal’s assault.
What occurred to La Liga’s plan to play Villareal-Barcelona in Miami?
The Sunday showdown was originally earmarked for Miami till La Liga’s worldwide enlargement plans collapsed underneath heavy criticism, forcing the cancellation of what would have been the primary European league match performed overseas.
What occurred the final time Villareal performed Barcelona?
Villareal had been 3-2 winners within the La Liga conflict in Could at Barcelona within the facet’s final encounter, though the house facet had already secured the league title 5 days earlier to the match.
The away facet took the lead by way of Ayoze Perez after solely 4 minutes, however Yamal and Fermin Lopez turned the sport in Barca’s favour earlier than the break. Villareal weren’t carried out, nevertheless, with Santi Comesana levelling within the fiftieth minute earlier than Tajon Buchanan scored the winner 10 minutes from time.
What occurred within the corresponding fixture between Villareal and Barcelona final season?
The primary assembly between the perimeters final season resulted in a 5-1 drubbing as Barcelona ran amok at in Villareal.
Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha each netted braces both facet of Pedro Torre’s strike. Perez was additionally on the scoresheet on this match for the house facet, but it surely proved solely to be a comfort.
Head-to-head
That is the fifty fifth assembly between the perimeters, with Barcelona profitable 33 of the matches and Villarreal rising victorious on 11 events.
Villareal have gained their final two journeys to Barcelona, however the Catalan membership have the identical document from their final two video games at La Ceramica.
Villareal workforce information
Villarreal obtained a well timed increase as veterans Gerard Moreno and Dani Parejo returned to coaching on Tuesday and must be obtainable to face Barcelona.
Pape Gueye and Ilias Akhomach, nevertheless, are away with Senegal on the Africa Cup of Nations.
Pau Cabanes is a particular damage absentee, whereas Thomas Partey, Gerard Moreno, Willy Kambwala and Santiago Mourino should show their health earlier than the match.
Barcelona workforce information
Dani Olmo and Gavi are each absent because of accidents, whereas Ronald Araujo is about to overlook the sport because of private causes.
Pedri missed coaching on Friday because of a calf pressure, making him a significant doubt for the match.
Predicted Villareal lineup
Luiz Junior; Navarro, Foyth, Veiga, Cardona; Buchanan, Comesana, Parejo, Moleiro; Perez, Mikautadze
Predicted Barcelona lineup
Joan Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Raphinha, Rashford; Torres
