Barcelona go head-to-head against Villarreal away from home on Sunday in their final match of the calendar year 2025.
The table toppers will look to extend their winning run to make it seven wins on the trot, while Villarreal will be motivated by the fact that they have kept the most clean sheets (seven) in the division and also conceded the fewest goals (13).
Villarreal vs Barcelona – Match preview and team news
- Date: Sunday, 21st December.
- Kick-off: 3:15pm BST.
- Venue: Estadio de La Ceramica.
Villarreal team news
Villarreal have a number of selection issues to contend with as they welcome the league leaders. The Yellow Submarine will be without key midfielder Pape Gueye and winger Ilias Akhomach, who have both departed for international duty.
Injuries also hamper Marcelino’s selection, with Thomas Partey ruled out alongside veteran forward Gerard Moreno.
Defenders Santiago Mouriño and Willy Kambwala are also unavailable, while Pau Cabanes remains sidelined. However, there is optimism that experienced captain Dani Parejo will shake off a minor knock to start in midfield.
Barcelona team news
Barcelona travel to the Estadio de la Cerámica with their own injury concerns. Midfield dynamo Gavi remains out with a knee injury, while defender Ronald Araujo is absent due to personal reasons. Summer arrival Dani Olmo is also sidelined with a shoulder problem.
A major blow for Hansi Flick was Pedri, who missed training on Friday with a calf strain and is now set to miss the clash against Villarreal.
As a result, Eric Garcia could partner with Frenkie de Jong in midfield. In attack, Ferran Torres – who has 11 goals this season in La Liga – is expected to lead the line, potentially leaving Marcus Rashford on the bench.
Form
Villarreal
Marcelino’s side have been flying in La Liga, winning their last six domestic matches to sit third in the table. However, their momentum was checked recently with back-to-back defeats in other competitions, losing 3-2 to Copenhagen in the Champions League and 2-1 to Racing Santander in the Copa del Rey.
Barcelona
Hansi Flick’s men are in excellent form, having won their last six matches across all competitions.
They sit top of La Liga with 43 points, four clear of rivals Real Madrid. Their recent wins include victories over Osasuna (2-0) and a win against Guadalajara in the Copa Del Rey, though they will be keen to tighten up at the back having conceded in recent outings.
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?
UK fans can watch the game live on Premier Sports 1. The channel has exclusive rights to La Liga matches in the UK and will stream the fixture on this platform.
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