By Sports Reporter
BARCELONA, Spain — FC Barcelona will look to strengthen their grip on the La Liga title race when they host Villarreal CF at Camp Nou on Saturday, with victory potentially moving them four points clear at the top.
The Catalan side currently lead the standings and could open a significant gap over rivals Real Madrid CF, who face Getafe CF on Monday. Third-placed Villarreal trail Barcelona by 10 points and will be aiming to revive their title hopes with a surprise result away from home.
Barca looking to maintain momentum
Barcelona come into the match after steadying their form with a convincing 3-0 victory over Levante UD last weekend. The win helped them recover from recent setbacks, including a heavy Copa del Rey defeat to Atlético Madrid and a league loss to Girona FC.
Despite leading La Liga with 67 goals scored this season, Barcelona’s attacking line has faced scrutiny. Veteran striker Robert Lewandowski has scored five goals in his last 18 matches, while Ferran Torres has managed just three in his past 15 appearances.
Coach Hansi Flick could consider deploying Marcus Rashford centrally, with the England international contributing 10 goals and 13 assists in all competitions this season.
Villarreal confident ahead of Camp Nou test
Villarreal arrive in strong form after winning three of their last four league matches, including a 2-1 victory over Valencia CF. The visitors will also take confidence from their recent record in Barcelona, having won their last two away meetings at Camp Nou.
Defender Santiago Mourino said Villarreal would look to exploit Barcelona’s defensive high line and take advantage of counter-attacking opportunities.
Team news
Barcelona will be without key midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who is sidelined for up to six weeks with a hamstring injury. Defender Andreas Christensen is also out injured, while midfielder Gavi has returned to training but is unlikely to feature.
Villarreal have several injury concerns of their own, with defenders Juan Foyth and Willy Kambwala among those unavailable, while striker Gerard Moreno faces a late fitness test.
Predicted line-ups
Barcelona:
Joan Garcia; Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Alejandro Balde; Marc Bernal, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha; Robert Lewandowski
Villarreal:
Luiz Junior; Santiago Mourino, Navarro, Renato Veiga, Alfonso Pedraza; Pepe, Comesana, Pape Gueye, Alberto Moleiro; Georges Mikautadze, Ayoze Perez
Kick-off details
- Match: Barcelona vs Villarreal
- Competition: La Liga
- Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona
- Kick-off: 4:15pm local time (7:15pm UAE time)
Barcelona will be seeking another home victory to consolidate their title challenge, while Villarreal aim to close the gap and maintain pressure on the league leaders.
