Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the fixtures of La Liga's 37th round will take place on Sunday at the "Olimpico," where Barcelona will host Villarreal. I'm backing a bet on goals in this clash with an attractive odds line.
Match preview
Barcelona are in peak form and continue to showcase dominant football in La Liga — the team is unbeaten in 17 straight matches, with 15 wins and two draws. In the previous round, the Catalans sealed the title, defeating Espanyol away 2-0 to become unreachable for Real Madrid with two matches to go. This title completes their "golden double" — Hans-Dieter Flick's side had already claimed the Copa del Rey earlier this season.
Barça's current winning streak in the league stands at six matches, and the team clearly has no intention of slowing down. The Catalans are on the verge of scoring 100 goals this season — they need just three more to hit the mark. With their current form, the motivation to finish the season on a high, and their attacking firepower, the remaining matches offer a perfect chance to set another goalscoring milestone.
Villarreal head into this round in excellent shape, having won four consecutive matches — their best run in La Liga since March of last year. Thanks to this surge, Marcelino García Toral's men have firmly secured fifth place, pulling five points clear of sixth-placed Betis. The "Yellow Submarine" have also shown defensive solidity, keeping clean sheets in their last two outings: a 1-0 away win against Girona and a 3-0 home victory over Leganés.
Across their last nine league matches, Villarreal have suffered just one defeat, with six wins and two draws — one of their most consistent stretches of the season. Marcelino's squad have hit top form at the business end of the campaign and are doing everything possible to lock down a direct Europa League spot and, under certain circumstances, challenge for a Champions League berth.
Probable lineups
- Barcelona: Wojciech Szczęsny – Gerard Martin, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araújo, Eric García – Dani Olmo, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong – Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha Dias
- Villarreal: Luis Junior – Alfonso Pedraza, Pau Navarro, Logan Costa, Juan Foyth – Dani Parejo, Yeremi Pino, Pape Gueye, Álex Baena – Ayoze Pérez, Nicolas Pépé
Match facts and head-to-head
- In the first half of the season, Villarreal lost at home to Barcelona 1-5
- The "Over 2.5 goals" bet landed in four of the last five meetings
- The "Both teams to score" market hit in three of the last five matches
Prediction
The bookmakers are siding with Barcelona in this one, pricing a Catalan win at 1.89. However, Barça have already achieved their main objective and can afford to relax. Their primary target now is to hit the 100-goal mark. Our pick for the match: "Barcelona total over 2.0" at odds of 1.88.
