Top 5 predictions for Villarreal vs Barcelona | La Liga 2021-22
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.
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.
😯 Villarreal manager Unai Emery has only lost one of his last 19 European home matches since August 2018 #UCL
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.
Something exciting has been happening at Villarreal 💛
Yeremy Pino had just turned 18 when he made his Villarreal debut a little over a year ago. Now he is one of Spain's most exciting young talents 🌟
@BroLeao has the lowdown ⬇️
#LLL
🧡🇪🇸⚽️
laligalowdown.com/post/yeremy-pi…
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.