Villarreal will be looking to secure Europa Conference League football for next season when they face Barcelona at Camp Nou on the Sunday – the final day of the 2021-22 La Liga campaign.
As it stands, Unai Emery’s side find themselves in seventh place – one point clear of eighth-place Athletic Club.
You'll want to turn on the volume for this one 🎧 pic.twitter.com/9cAzIz4k2x— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 17, 2022
You'll want to turn on the volume for this one 🎧 pic.twitter.com/9cAzIz4k2x
As for Barcelona, they have already wrapped up second place. Although they are 12 points behind Real Madrid, they lead third-place Atletico Madrid by five points.
Xavi’s side were held to a shock goalless draw by Getafe last time out, ending a run of three consecutive La Liga wins.
Not only have Barcelona won three of their last four league outings, but they have also won 11 of their previous 14.
When you look at the bigger picture, the Catalans have suffered just two defeats in their past 22 La Liga matches – securing 15 wins and five draws in the process.
In addition to being the second-highest scorers in La Liga this season, Barca also have the fifth-best defensive record.
On the flip side, Villarreal were beaten 2-1 by Real Sociedad last time out. That means they have lost five of their previous 11 league games.
Although Emery’s men have won three of their last six La Liga outings, they are in danger of missing out on European football for next season.
Having netted 61 goals in 37 games, the Yellow Submarine are the fifth-highest scorers in La Liga this season.
Arnaut Danjuma (10 goals, 3 assists) has been the star of the show, alongside Gerard Moreno (9 goals, 3 assists).
Head-to-head: Barcelona claimed a 3-1 victory in the reverse fixture, meaning they have won each of their last five La Liga games against Villarreal.
Remarkably, Villarreal’s last win against Barca came all the way back in 2008 – meaning the Catalans are enjoying a mammoth 27-game unbeaten streak in this fixture.
Team news: Barcelona have multiple injury absentees at the moment, including Pedri, Sergino Dest, Sergio Roberto and Gerard Pique.
Meanwhile, Villarreal look set to be without the injured duo of Alberto Moreno and Arnaut Danjuma on Sunday.
Given that Barcelona have lost just three of their previous 31 games across all competitions, a home win is on the cards here.
Forebet predicts that both teams will score at Camp Nou. However, Barcelona are expected to outscore Villarreal.