Barcelona faces Villarreal away on Sunday in their last match of 2025.
The leaders aim for their seventh consecutive win, while Villarreal looks to leverage their defense, having recorded the most clean sheets (seven) and conceded the fewest goals (13) in the league.
Villarreal vs Barcelona – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Sunday, December 21.
- Kick-off: 3:15 PM BST.
- Venue: Estadio de La Cerámica.
Villarreal Team News
Villarreal faces several selection challenges as they host the league leaders. Midfielder Pape Gueye and winger Ilias Akhomach are on international duty, leaving gaps in the squad.
Injuries also affect the team, with Thomas Partey and Gerard Moreno both out. Defenders Santiago Mouriño and Willy Kambwala are unavailable, and Pau Cabanes is sidelined. However, captain Dani Parejo is hopeful to start after dealing with a minor injury.
Barcelona Team News
Barcelona arrives at the Estadio de la Cerámica with its own injury issues. Midfielder Gavi is out with a knee injury, and defender Ronald Araujo is absent for personal reasons. New signing Dani Olmo is sidelined due to a shoulder injury.
A significant setback for coach Hansi Flick is Pedri, who missed training with a calf strain and will not play against Villarreal.
This opens up a potential pairing of Eric Garcia and Frenkie de Jong in midfield. Ferran Torres, who has scored 11 goals this La Liga season, is set to lead the attack, with Marcus Rashford likely on the bench.
Form
Villarreal
Marcelino’s team has been strong in La Liga, securing their last six league wins and sitting third in the standings. However, they’ve faced recent setbacks, losing 3-2 to Copenhagen in the Champions League and 2-1 to Racing Santander in the Copa del Rey.
Barcelona
Under Hansi Flick, Barcelona is in good form, winning their last six matches in all competitions.
They lead La Liga with 43 points, four ahead of Real Madrid. Recent victories include a 2-0 win over Osasuna and a Copa del Rey success against Guadalajara, though they seek to improve their defensive stability after conceding in some recent matches.
Predicted Lineups
Villarreal: Junior; Navarro, Foyth, Veiga, Cardona; Buchanan, Parejo, Comesana, Moleiro; Perez, Mikautadze.
Barcelona: J Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martin, Balde; De Jong, E Garcia; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; Torres.
How to Watch Villarreal vs Barcelona?
Fans in the UK can watch the game live on Premier Sports 1, which has exclusive rights to La Liga matches in the UK.
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