Barcelona – Villarreal: will Barcelona remain at the top of the table?
On Saturday, 28 February, we are set for a Matchday 26 clash in Spain’s La Liga between Barcelona and Villarreal. Kick-off is scheduled for 16:15 CET, and I am offering a betting pick for this fixture.
Barcelona – Villarreal: match facts and head-to-head
- Barcelona have lost two of their last three matches.
- Villarreal have won their last two matches and have suffered just one defeat in their previous five.
- At home, Barcelona have lost only one match this season.
- In La Liga, Barcelona are unbeaten on home soil.
- Villarreal have won just one of their last five away matches.
- Barcelona boast the most potent attack in La Liga – 67 goals scored.
- In 51% of their matches this season, Barcelona have scored in both halves.
- Barça have lost only 5% of their matches to nil this season, Villarreal 25%.
- Barcelona have won 32% of their matches this season with a clean sheet, Villarreal 25%.
- Barcelona defeated Villarreal 2:0 in their most recent head-to-head encounter.
Barcelona – Villarreal: match preview
Barcelona currently sit at the summit of the La Liga table, a position they reclaimed after the previous round. Real slipped up in their fixture, allowing the Catalans to climb back to first place. They possess the league’s most formidable attack, with 67 goals to their name. In their last outing, Barça dispatched Levante 3:0 to return to the top of the standings. However, they have lost two of their last three matches. One of those defeats came in the Copa del Rey, a heavy 0:4 loss to Atlético Madrid.
Villarreal are also entrenched in the top four of the La Liga table. After 25 matches, the team have collected 51 points and occupy third place. The gap to fourth place currently stands at just three points, so the battle to secure third will be far from straightforward. In their last two matches, the Yellow Submarine edged Valencia 2:1 and Levante 1:0. Overall, Villarreal have lost only once in their last five matches.
Probable line-ups
- Barcelona: J Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, E Garcia, Cancelo; Bernal, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; Lewandowski
- Villarreal: Luiz Junior; Mourino, Navarro, Veiga, Pedraza; Pepe, Comesana, Gueye, Moleiro; Mikautadze, Perez
Prediction
Barça have begun to steady the ship after back-to-back defeats and have reclaimed top spot. I believe they will capitalise on home advantage and secure the win, and I suggest backing Barcelona’s team total over 2.5 goals.
