Villarreal have recorded only a single loss across their last five La Liga home games, a sequence that has also witnessed 73 per cent of their La Liga goals.
Villarreal
After the midweek UEFA Champions League disappointment of a 2-0 loss to Manchester United, Villarreal will turn their sights on improving their La Liga fortunes here. Only five sides have lost fewer games than the ‘Yellow Submarine’ this La Liga campaign, but a joint-league high seven draws have torpedoed their top-half ambitions. It’s been a different story at La Cerámica though, where Villarreal have recorded only a single loss across their last five La Liga home games, a sequence that has also witnessed 73 per cent of their La Liga goals. The hosts need to extend this momentum against old nemesis Barcelona – a side they’ve staggeringly failed to defeat in this competition since March 2008!
FC Barcelona
Visiting Barcelona would love to extend that record even further considering their own continental and domestic troubles. While new boss Xavi Hernandez plots a move up the table, he can become just the third Barcelona manager to oversee clean sheets in his first three competitive matches here, although a win of any magnitude will be of top priority after a 1-0 derby win in the last round has given the Catalan giants the chance to record back-to-back La Liga victories for the first time this season. That could prove tough as Barca are winless across five La Liga road trips, which is actually the longest they’ve had to wait for their first away win of a top-flight season since 1986/87. A quick start could be vital to breaking the rut as Barcelona have scored the match opener in just one of their five La Liga away matches.
Arnaut Danjuma’s last four La Liga goals have all come on home soil, helping his side to earn seven points. Barca’s injury-plagued Ousmane Dembélé looked lively in midweek and may face Villarreal, a side he’s twice scored and twice assisted against across five La Liga games. Villarreal boss Unai Emery has won just two of his 27 matches vs Barcelona.