Barcelona back in La Liga after shock UCL defeat to Monaco.
Villarreal vs
FC Barcelona
Villarreal's unbeaten start to the La Liga season faces a stern test as they host a resolute Barcelona side eager to rebound from a European slip-up at the Estadio de la Ceramica this Sunday evening.
Villarreal
In their last La Liga outing, Villarreal clinched a dramatic 2-1 victory over Mallorca. Ayoze Pérez netted a stoppage-time winner after veteran defender Raúl Albiol's own goal had initially levelled the scoreline.
The Yellow Submarine remains unbeaten in the league, sitting 4th with 11 points. They will be eager to seize the opportunity against a Barcelona side sweating from their European setback.
Although Villarreal have managed to win two of their last five league meetings with Barcelona, those victories both came away from home. Historically, the Yellow Submarine has found it difficult against the Blaugranas, failing to win in their previous 25 encounters before the recent victories.
Villarreal's strong start to the season inspires optimism, as their tally of 11 points from five games is their best opening to a campaign since 2015/16, a season in which they finished 4th. Marcelino García will likely deploy a 4-4-2 formation, with Ayoze Pérez and Thierno Barry leading the line.
Despite Alfonso Pedraza's return to training, his participation in the upcoming match is uncertain. Meanwhile, Juan Foyth and Willy Kambwala remain sidelined.
FC Barcelona
Barcelona are looking to put their recent 2-1 loss to Monaco behind them. An early red card to Eric García at the 10-minute mark shifted the momentum to the French side.
Despite the setback, manager Hansi Flick remained positive. He expressed pride in his team, saying, "I'm proud of this team, and I’m optimistic about the future. We have to accept the loss, but we still have seven games to go, and I'm confident we'll bounce back."
With 15 points from five games, Barcelona aim for their sixth consecutive La Liga win, a feat achieved seven times in club history, most recently in the 2017/18 season. They enjoy an impressive record against teams from the Valencia region, remaining unbeaten in their last 15 away games with 13 wins and 2 draws since a 2-0 defeat to Valencia in January 2020.
Barcelona also have a strong track record at Villarreal's home ground, avoiding defeat in their last 15 visits with 11 wins and 4 draws. Coach Hansi Flick is expected to field a 4-2-3-1 formation, led by La Liga’s top scorer Robert Lewandowski.
Ferran Torres will be unavailable due to a suspension from a red card in the 4-1 victory over Girona in the Catalan derby. Moreover, Dani Olmo and six other players will miss out due to injuries.
