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FC Barcelona vs. Villarreal CF
At the moment, fans of the football are well catered for when it comes to great offers and games from the top leagues in Europe. While the ball usually rolls in international competition during the week, this time there is football from the leagues. At the end of the tenth matchday in La Liga, we can look forward to the duel between second-placed Barcelona and the yellow submarine Villarreal. Find out whether the Catalans have improved in our Barcelona – Villarreal tip.
Nine matchdays have already been played in the Spanish La Liga and FC Barcelona is in a much better position compared to last season. Coach Xavi’s team has won seven games, drawn one and lost one. Last Sunday, they suffered their first defeat of the season in the El Clásico. The upcoming opponents from Villarreal are currently fighting not to lose touch with the international places. They are currently in seventh place in the table.
Barcelona – Villarreal info:
– Date & Time: 20/10/2022, 21:00.
– Venue: Camp Nou (Barcelona)
– Competition: La Liga, Matchday 10
– TV broadcast: DAZN
Barcelona form & balance check
So now FC Barcelona have also been hit. The Catalans have managed not to lose until the ninth matchday. In the Clásico against their arch-rivals from Madrid, however, the time had come. After 90 minutes, the team of club legend Xavi lost 1:3. In the end, the defeat was more than justified, as Real not only created the better chances, but also acted much more maturely throughout the game. Despite the defeat, Xavi can be satisfied with his performance in La Liga so far. After a draw on the first matchday, there have been seven wins in a row for the Catalans since then.
Xavi must deliver
Even though there has only been one defeat in the league so far, Xavi’s performances are now considered quite critical. Especially in the Champions League, Barca have not yet been able to convince. In a group with Bayern, Inter and Pilsen, the Catalans are on the brink of elimination. In the important games, Xavi continues to rely on his regulars. This also includes captain Sergio Busquets. The fact that time does not simply pass the world and European champion by was evident in the game against Real. Many experts have been calling for the use of Frenkie de Jong for weeks. With regard to the upcoming match, it will once again come down to a good defence. With just four goals conceded after nine matchdays, Barca have the second best defence in the league.
Barcelona facts & analysis
– Last conceded 1st defeat against Real.
– Only 4 goals conceded
– Lewandowski stands at 9 league goals
Villarreal form & balance check
The yellow submarine from Villarreal is in a respectable seventh place after the first nine matchdays. Coach Unai Emery’s eleven has set as a goal for this season that it should definitely go back to the Europa League. After nine matchdays, Villarreal have 15 points and are only four points behind fifth place. Last weekend they played Osasuna at home and Villarreal won 2-0 thanks to two goals from Danjuma. If we take a closer look at the La Liga home table, Villarreal are on two wins and one draw after three matchdays.
Away shockingly weak
Coach Unai Emery’s men prefer to get their points in front of their own fans anyway. If we look at the performances away from home, it quickly becomes clear where Villarreal’s problem lies this season. The men from Villarreal have recently suffered two defeats and a draw from their last three away games. Another problem area is the attack. With players like Danjuma and Moreno, there should be a lot of goals on the books, but so far the yellow submarine has only scored twelve goals. On the other hand, they have the best defence in the league with only three goals conceded.
Villarreal facts & analysis
– Only 1 win from last 5 matches.
– Only 3 goals conceded
– Last 4 away games not scored
Predicted line-up – last updated 19 Oct 2022
FC Barcelona will field a 4-3-3 in the upcoming match. Coach Xavi will rely on Kounde and Garcia in the match against Villarreal. Araujo and Christensen are missing due to injury and so Barca will have to rebuild in defence again. There has been no room for Pique for some time and Sergio Roberto will defend at right back as he did against Real. In midfield, it will once again be a conflict between the generations. Busquets may have passed his zenith, but he is still captain. Thus, one of the two youngsters Pedri or Gavi must make way. In attack, everything remains the same with Dembele, Lewandowski and Raphinha.
The upcoming opponents from Villarreal will go into the game against Barca unchanged compared to the 2-0 victory over Osasuna. Coach Emery will again be relying on a classic 4-4-2, with special attention being paid to the attack. Danjuma should want to build on his brace against Osasuna. Moreno will once again be confined to the bench due to poor performances.
Barcelona – Villarreal direct comparison & Statistics
Both teams have faced each other 44 times so far and the direct comparison clearly goes to Barca. The Catalans have 26 wins, nine draws and nine defeats. In the last match, however, Villarreal won 2-0 at the Camp Nou.
– The average goals scored in a meeting between FC Barcelona and Villarreal CF is 3.6.
– The winner of the last meeting was Villarreal CF
– FC Barcelona have not lost any of their last 8 home matches
– In LaLiga, FC Barcelona’s winning streak at home has lasted 3 games
