Barcelona vs Villarreal – News and Probable Lineups

Barcelona is set to aim for a four-point advantage at the summit of the La Liga standings when they take on Villarreal at Camp Nou this Saturday afternoon.

The Catalonian team currently leads the league, one point ahead of second-place Real Madrid, while Villarreal sits third, trailing by 10 points from the top position.

Match overview

Barcelona endured two consecutive losses earlier this month, facing a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final, followed by a 2-1 loss to Girona in La Liga. However, Hansi Flick’s squad found their form again last time out, securing a 3-0 victory against Levante.

The Catalan side has regained first place in the standings, currently sitting one point ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, who won’t play until Monday evening. Therefore, a victory here would extend their lead to four points.

Barcelona is entering a critical phase of the season, as they face Atletico in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final next week, followed by a match against Athletic Bilbao on March 8, ahead of their last-16 clash in the Champions League.

Flick’s squad has triumphed in 20 out of their 25 league games this season, netting 67 goals so far, with three players—Ferran Torres (12), Lamine Yamal (10), and Robert Lewandowski (10)—having reached double figures in league goals for the 2025-26 season.

Historically, Barcelona has defeated Villarreal 35 times in 57 encounters across all competitions, including a 2-0 win in the previous fixture between the two teams earlier in this season.

Villarreal, on the other hand, has claimed victory in their last two away league matches against Barcelona, including an impressive 5-3 win in January 2024. Their last away defeat to the Catalan team occurred back in October 2022.

The Yellow Submarine heads into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 victory over Valencia, having won three of their last four league matches.

Marcelino’s team is currently positioned third in La Liga, boasting a record of 16 wins, three draws, and six losses from their 25 outings, placing them 10 points shy of the top and three points clear of fourth-place Atletico Madrid.

As stated earlier, Villarreal has succeeded in their last two visits to Barcelona, while they currently hold the fourth-best away record in Spain’s top division this season, accumulating 20 points from 12 matches with six wins.

Villarreal was eliminated during the group stage of this season’s Champions League, meaning their sole focus for the remainder of the season lies with La Liga.

Barcelona La Liga form:

LWWWWWW

Barcelona form (all competitions):

WWWLLW

Villarreal La Liga form:

LDWLWW

Villarreal form (all competitions):

LDWLWW

Team News

Gavi has returned to training for Barcelona, but the midfielder hasn’t featured since late August due to a significant knee injury, hence his comeback will be gradual, with expectations set for a return sometime in March.

Andreas Christensen continues to be sidelined due to a serious knee injury, while Gerard Martin is serving a suspension after receiving a milestone yellow card in the match against Levante.

Joao Cancelo’s impressive performance against Levante could lead to the Portugal international retaining his place at left-back over Alejandro Balde, while Fermin Lopez and Pedri might be introduced to the lineup in place of Marc Bernal and Dani Olmo.

For Villarreal, Willy Kambwala (hamstring), Logan Costa (knee), Pau Cabanes (knee), and Juan Foyth (knee) will not be available for selection once again.

Simultaneously, Gerard Moreno (thigh) and Pape Gueye (thigh) are both facing late fitness assessments.

Alfonso Pedraza might find his way into the starting XI at left-back due to his strong showing off the bench against Valencia, while Ayoze Perez and Georges Mikautadze are likely to maintain their roles as the front pair on Saturday afternoon.

Barcelona probable starting XI:

J Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, and Garcia, Cancelo; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; Lewandowski

Villarreal probable starting XI:

Luiz Junior; Mourino, Navarro, Veiga, Pedraza; Pepe, Comesana, Gueye, Miller; Mikautadze, Perez

This is an intriguing match, and we anticipate goals on Saturday afternoon. While drawing could be a possibility, we have a feeling that Barcelona’s quality in the attacking phase may see them secure all three points.