By overcoming Villarreal at Camp Nou this Saturday, Barcelona has the opportunity to exert considerable pressure on Real Madrid.
When Madrid welcomes Getafe on Monday, the capital club might find themselves four points trailing Hansi Flick’s squad.
Last Sunday, Barça secured a vital 3-0 triumph over Levante on their own ground, a crucial win following recent setbacks against Girona and Atlético Madrid, with the latter occurring in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final.
Villarreal, too, is in urgent need of points to sustain their pursuit of a Champions League qualification position.
Having secured consecutive victories against Levante and Valencia, The Yellow Submarine commences the weekend occupying third place.

Viewing Options for Barcelona v Villarreal: Television and Digital Broadcast
The encounter between Barcelona and Villarreal commences at 1515 GMT this Saturday and can be watched via Premier Sports Player and LaLiga TV.
An annual Premier Sports subscription is priced at £120, or it can be acquired for £11.99 monthly on a 12-month agreement, alternatively at £16.99 per month, necessitating 30 days’ notice for cancellation.
Account holders with credit at Bet365 can watch the match through the bet365 application and its website.
Barcelona v Villarreal: Key Statistics
- The two most recent home fixtures for Barcelona against Villarreal saw an aggregate of 13 goals, with the visiting team emerging victorious in both instances.
- Villarreal has claimed victory in three of the last four encounters in this match-up, although merely two of those occurred at Camp Nou.
- This season, Lamine Yamal (19) has recorded a greater number of LaLiga direct contributions to goals than any player except Kylian Mbappe (27).
- In LaLiga, the Villarreal pair of Alberto Moleiro (13) and Georges Mikautadze (12) have collectively contributed to 25 goals.
- Since signing with the Blaugrana in 2022, Barca’s forward Robert Lewandowski has netted five times against Villarreal.
