26′
6:59 p.m
In the last few minutes the guests came out of their cover and became active on the offensive. The Catalans can also count themselves lucky not to have fallen behind here yet. The decision regarding Gerard Moreno’s supposed goal was definitely questionable.
23′
18:57
The previous scene was obviously not about an offside decision. Rather, it was a foul by Baena on Koundé, who had slightly hit the Frenchman in the shin when he tried to shoot. FC Barcelona was very lucky…
22′
18:56
Gerard Moreno celebrates, but the flag is up. After a cross from the right side, Jules Koundé is unable to clarify the situation in the penalty area. Gerard Moreno reacts quickly, grabs the rebound and finishes from close range in the top left corner.
19′
18:52
The hosts’ dominance becomes a little more pressing in the last few minutes. The reigning champions shift the game far into the opponent’s half and restrict the guests more and more. Marcelino’s team needs significantly more relief in the long term in order to be able to hold their ground here.
16′
6:49 p.m
Yellow card for Álex Baena (Villarreal CF)
Álex Baena comes way too late with a tackle against Lamine Yamal and takes the youngster off his feet near the right touchline. Referee Munuera Montero takes immediate action and shows the first warning of the game.
15′
6:49 p.m
Filip Jørgensen prevents the goal! João Félix is not tackled in a central position just before the penalty area and immediately shoots with his left foot. The Portuguese’s shot is slightly deflected and falls dangerously into the top left corner. But Villarreal’s goalkeeper is wide awake, stretches forward and guides the ball over the crossbar with his fingertips!
14′
6:46 p.m
Barca, on the other hand, approaches the opposing defensive line in their own penalty area in order to disrupt the build-up to the game early on. So far, the guests have managed to break away from the pressure from the Catalans. In general, coach Marcelino’s team’s defense was pretty good in the opening minutes.
11′
18:43
At times the guests are quite deep against the ball. The two strikers Sørloth and Gerard Moreno are also several meters behind the center circle. A barrier that the Catalan offensive must first break.
8th’
18:41
Lamine Yamal moves inwards from the right side and fires from the half-right position with the inside left side. The youngster’s finish isn’t bad, but Filip Jørgensen anticipates well and has the ball in his follow-up.
6′
6:38 p.m
Both teams obviously have little interest in a sampling phase. The hosts also went on the offensive in the opening minutes, but were still stuck on the defensive bar of the yellow submarine.
4′
6:36 p.m
After a long ball from Kiko Femenía, Álex Baena humourlessly welds a shot from the right into the top left corner from an acute angle. A great finish – but the visitors’ midfielder was meters offside when he passed the ball.
3′
6:35 p.m
The guests want to make it clear right from the start that they want to be more than just a sparring partner today. Villarreal exerted enormous pressure on the right side in the opening minutes and posed problems for the Catalans’ backline, especially the young Héctor Fort.
1′
6:33 p.m
The ball is rolling! The spectators at Lluís Companys are looking forward to the game between Barcelona and Villarreal!
6:25 p.m
Today’s game will be officiated by referee José Munuera Montero. He is assisted on the sidelines by Iñigo Prieto López and Antonio Martínez Moreno.
6:14 p.m
The guests from Villarreal also remain true to their well-rehearsed 4-4-2 system. In addition, coach Marcelino trusts his team today and sends the exact same team onto the pitch that suffered a bitter draw in the home game against Mallorca last week. Brave, considering Villarreal’s current situation. Incidentally, the yellow submarine is facing an absolute fearsome opponent today. The last time that Villarreal was able to defeat FC Barcelona was 16(!) years ago. The last point win against the Catalans also dates back to 2019. The favorites in this game are therefore clearly distributed even before kick-off. But FC Barcelona has rarely been as beatable in the past as it is in the current season…
6:00 p.m
Blaugrana will play in their usual 4-3-3 system today. However, compared to the defeat at Athletic Bilbao during the week, coach Xavi is making a total of three personnel changes. At left back, Héctor Fort replaces Alejandro Balde, who will be out until the end of the season with a tendon injury. Oriol Romeu also comes into the game in midfield and initially pushes Pedri to the bench. Ferran Torres isn’t on the pitch from the start today either; João Félix replaces him on the left wing. Anything other than a home win is absolutely unacceptable for FC Barcelona today. But the Catalans have recently won three times in a row in the league and are definitely willing to extend this series.
5:45 p.m
The Catalans are under pressure today. Coach Xavi Hernandez’s team is in third place after a relatively weak first half of the season and is a full eight points behind league leaders Girona. There was also a real blow in the Supercup final against Real Madrid a few weeks ago. And as if all that wasn’t enough, FC Barcelona also had to say goodbye to the Copa del Rey during the week after a defeat at Athletic Bilbao. Red alert for the Catalans, who clearly have a duty today. Will the guests from Villarreal have to serve as opponents today? The yellow submarine has only won one of the last seven games and is currently in 14th place in the table. Only five points currently separate coach Marcelino’s team from a relegation zone. The trip away to the Catalan capital could turn into a nightmare.
5:29 p.m
Welcome to the 22nd La Liga matchday! At 6:30 p.m. FC Barcelona will face Villarreal at Estadio Lluís Companys.