Barcelona take on the visitors Villarreal in the round 37 match of Spanish LaLiga. The match will be played on Sunday, April 18th at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys (Barcelona).
Barcelona are strong, but not without flaws. The "More than a club" project entered this season with a coaching change — after a trophyless campaign, Xavi was let go despite his legendary status and success in 2022/2023. It quickly became clear that under Hansi Flick, things were improving, aided by the rapid development of young talents like Lamine Yamal. Still, issues remain, as seen in their Champions League semifinal loss to Inter — despite a good showing at home, they were knocked out in extra time in Milan. On the domestic front, however, the Catalans beat Real Madrid in both the Spanish Super Cup final in winter and the Copa del Rey final in April. In their latest La Liga clash, they came back from 0-2 down to win 4-3 against Madrid, and a 2-0 win over Espanyol formally sealed the league title.
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Villarreal had its golden run not long ago under Unai Emery, lifting the Europa League and reaching a Champions League semifinal, then finishing fifth in La Liga in 2023. Last season, however, was a disappointment — the return of Marcelino brought stability, but not enough to outpace Betis for seventh place. This year, they’re back battling the same rival — now for fifth spot, which could offer a backdoor route into the Champions League. While setbacks have occurred, so have Betis’s. Back-to-back wins over Girona and Leganés suggest Villarreal are hitting form at just the right time.
Villarreal shocked the Catalans on the road in both 2022 and early 2024. However, Barcelona won the rest of their recent meetings, including a commanding 5-1 victory away at La Cerámica in September. Barcelona are champions and playing at home. There’s no reason to slow down now — back the Catalans to win again.
Prediction for the match: Barcelona to win.
