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Barcelona will look to put their Champions League disappointment behind them when they travel to Villarreal for their La Liga fixture this Saturday.
The 2014-15 Champions League winners were held to a 0-0 draw by Benfica on Tuesday night, which has jeopardized their hopes of Round of 16 qualification. The Blaugrana will need an unlikely win over group leaders Bayern Munich on matchday six if Benfica successfully dispatch bottom-dwellers Dynamo Kyiv.
Barcelona’s La Liga rivals, Villarreal, also endured a disappointing Champions League outing on matchday five. They were beaten 2-0 by Manchester United and now need a positive result over Atalanta on the last matchday.
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Both Villarreal and Barcelona have been inconsistent in in La Liga this season and are desperate to bounce back. Only four points separate the two sides at the moment, setting the stage for an epic showdown.
Will either come out on top or is there a draw on the cards? Here are our top five predictions for Barcelona’s trip to Villarreal:
#5 Unai Emery to deploy a physical midfield to suffocate Barcelona
Similar to Barcelona, Unai Emery’s Villarreal have also endured a difficult start to the 2021-22 La Liga campaign. The Yellow Submarine have picked up only 16 points from their 13 La Liga matches, coming out on top in just three of those fixtures.
Winning against a struggling Barcelona side looks improbable, but deploying a physically superior midfield might do Emery some favors. The midfield trio of Francis Coquelin, Dani Parejo and Etienne Capoue look likely and could make life difficult for Sergio Busquets and co.
Do not be surprised if Villarreal try to rough Barcelona up and impose their physicality to disrupt Xavi’s fluid gameplay. Emery would not mind playing dirty if it helps his side take an invaluable point off the 26-time champions.
#4 Yeremi Pino to be Villarreal’s best weapon against Barcelona
Aged 18 years and 218 days, Pino became the youngest-ever player to win the Europa League when Villarreal lifted the cup in the 2020-21 campaign.
The youngster has polished his game even further this season and is set to become Villarreal’s best bet against Barcelona on Saturday.
With Gerard Moreno missing out due to a hamstring problem, Pino’s quick feet and creativity could trouble Barcelona’s shaky defense. Pino is also an excellent reader of the game and has an impressive passing range.
The teenager has four goal contributions in La Liga this season and we would not bet against him improving his tally against Barcelona.
#3 Xavi’s Barcelona to trouble Villarreal with their zippy passing
Back in his playing days, former Barcelona midfielder Xavi used to be the best passer of the ball in all of Europe. His game-reading was unmatched and he could dictate tempo like no other. The Barcelona maestro could create attacks in the blink of an eye, leaving the opposition for dead.
Xavi has coached Barcelona for only a couple of games, but the philosophy he is trying to instill is already evident. He wants his players to be available to one another and move the ball around with considerable swiftness.
Xavi is eliminating the static gameplay Barcelona were accustomed to under Ronald Koeman, and we expect him to take another significant step against Villarreal.
If Villarreal do indeed go with a physical midfield, Barcelona will need to pass the ball around much quicker. Only then can they successfully break the press and put pressure on the Villarreal defense.
#2 Ousmane Dembele to impress for Barcelona
At his unveiling as Barcelona coach, Xavi made no effort to hide his admiration for Ousmane Dembele. The 2010 World Cup winner loves the pace and creativity Dembele brings to the table and is eager to put the Frenchman’s skills to good use.
Courtesy of a never-ending list of injuries, Dembele has not managed to make the impact many expected. Every time he gets into the groove, an injury sidelines him, forcing him to do it all over again after he comes back.
Having recovered from a hamstring injury, Dembele made an appearance off the bench in the Champions League draw with Benfica on Tuesday. The Barcelona winger could not make a tangible impact that night, but he could do so against Villarreal on Saturday.
Expect the Frenchman to provide width to Barcelona’s attack and play a key role in a goal or two this weekend.
#1 Villarreal and Barcelona to play out an exciting draw
Historically, Villarreal and Barcelona have been two of the most trigger-happy teams in La Liga. This season, however, not only have they been less threatening in front of goal but they have also been shaky at the back.
Seventh-placed Barcelona have only scored 20 goals in the league, while 12th-placed Villarreal have hit 15. Their goal differences, on the other hand, stand at five and two, respectively.
Both teams are desperate for a way back but do not seem to have enough to go for the kill. We expect both of them to hit the back of the net but a winner might not be on the cards.
We predict a 2-2 draw for Saturday’s La Liga encounter at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
