As Barcelona host Villarreal on Saturday in La Liga play, the Catalan giants must not suffer any more slips if they wish to remain in the title race this season.
Xavi’s side are at risk of falling out of contention entirely, sitting third in the Spanish top flight, eight points back of Girona at the top and seven behind Real Madrid who hold a game in hand on the surprise leaders.
Barcelona have won three in a row in league play, but have looked at risk in all of them. They needed late winners to beat both Almeria and Las Palmas before a pair of goals in the 90th and 92nd minutes saw them beat Real Betis by a 4-2 score. In the midst of those results, they were bounced from the Copa del Rey by Athletic Club and trounced by Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final.
With Villarreal sitting 14th in the league and fighting just to stay clear of the relegation zone, this is not the spot for Barcelona to fall short. The pressure is on for Xavi to achieve anything of note this season, and if they fall short of all silverware, it could mean his undoing at the club he holds so dear.
USA: Click here to see the latest odds for Barcelona vs Villarreal and bet La Liga matches
Barcelona vs Villarreal prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Barcelona (-330)
- Score prediction: Barcelona 3-1 Villarreal
Injuries have torn through the Barcelona squad, but they should have enough to get past one of the leakiest back lines in La Liga this season, even if they end up making it harder on themselves in the process. Villarreal concede the most shots of any La Liga side by a wide margin, and Barcelona shoot more than anyone else, so this could be one-way traffic most of the match.
This Villarreal side was pummeled by Real Madrid in mid-December, conceding a massive 3.22 xGA in a 4-1 defeat. While Barcelona aren’t a side that can punish a team for its mistakes at will like Madrid are capable of on their day, they have figured things out on the attacking front in recent weeks and are in good form, despite Robert Lewandowski’s very quick dropoff.
| DraftKings (USA) |
|
| Barcelona win | -330 |
| Draw | +475 |
| Villarreal win | +600 |
| Both teams to score Y/N |
-160 / +125 |
| Over / Under 2.5 goals |
-160 / +125 |
| Barcelona -1.5 goals |
-115 |
| Villarreal +1.5 goals |
+100 |
Barcelona vs Villarreal match facts
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024
- Kickoff Time: 6:30 p.m. local (12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT)
- Location: Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium (Barcelona, Spain)
- Referee: Jose Luis Munuera Montero, VAR: Santiago Jaime Latre
- Last meeting: Villarreal 3-4 Barcelona (Aug. 27, 2023 | La Liga)
Barcelona vs Villarreal best bet
- Pick: Barcelona over 2.5 goals
- Odds: -120 (DraftKings)
While Barcelona looked sluggish a few months ago, the team’s weakness has shifted to its defensive unit. Injuries at goalkeeper and along the back line have strained the squad, and they are conceding goals in ways they would have previously considered unthinkable.
Yet at this current juncture, Barcelona do not struggle to create chances up front. They lead La Liga in both shots and shots on target, and have scored 13 goals in their six league matches since the start of December. Even as Robert Lewandowski becomes an afterthought up front, others have stepped up to fill the void in a big way. Against the league’s most porous defence in Villarreal, with a young goalkeeper finding his way, they should have ample opportunities to enjoy themselves in front of the home crowd.
Barcelona vs Villarreal prop bet
- Pick: Ferran Torres anytime goal scorer
- Odds: +110 (FanDuel)
As Robert Lewandowski fades quickly into the sunset, Ferran Torres has stepped into the void up front, in somewhat under-the-radar fashion as young guns Lamine Yamal and Marc Guiu take the spotlight instead.
Torres has scored in two straight La Liga matches, the latest a hat-trick in the win over Real Betis. He’s been good for it too, collecting over 2.5 xG in that span on 11 shots. The volume has increased as his role expands, and while Joao Felix is contributing too, the combination of Lewandowski’s cavernous disappearance and Raphinha’s injury has allowed the former Man City castaway to shine.
He was underutilised in the Copa del Rey defeat to Athletic Club, with just 42 touches compared to 55 for Lamine Yamal, and at this stage, Xavi can’t afford to let form like this go unrewarded. Against Villarreal’s leaky defensive unit and struggling young goalkeeper, Torres should have plenty of opportunities to put this match to bed, and in a game where a number of Barcelona goal scorers sport odds that lack value, his plus offering is the most profitable.
Barcelona vs Villarreal live stream, TV channel
| TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | ESPN Deportes | Fubo USA, ESPN+ |
| Canada | TSN4 | Fubo Canada, TSN+ |
| UK | Viaplay Sports 2 | LaLigaTV, Viaplay |
Every La Liga match across the 2023/24 season is broadcast in the United States on ESPN+ with both English and Spanish options available. This game between Barcelona and Villarreal has been earmarked for Spanish-language television broadcast on ESPN Deportes, which is available to stream on Fubo.
In Canada, TSN owns the broadcast rights for the current La Liga campaign, with this match broadcast on TSN 4, which is available to stream on Fubo Canada. In the UK, this match can be watched on Viaplay Sports 2, with streaming on LaLigaTV.
