Villarreal are fighting for 7th place – Barça want to say goodbye with a victory
Fc Barcelona have been in 2nd place since last weekend and are thus assured of the runners-up spot, so in the final game of the season Barça will bid farewell to their fans after a turbulent season. Barça will of course want to do that with a win, the look at Barcelona vs. Villarreal also shows that the Catalans are favourites going into the game late on Sunday evening (kick-off is at 10pm).
Meanwhile, for opponents Villarreal, Europe is still at stake. The Yellow Submarine may have missed out on the Europa League last weekend, but they currently sit in 7th place, which entitles them to play in the Conference League.
For the Catalans to have odds of over 2.00 on a home win in a home game ahead of Barcelona v Villarreal is anything but commonplace. Of course, this offers betting enthusiasts an interesting chance, but it also points out: It is not only the bookmakers who are expecting a closer game than one might normally think in advance.
Barcelona – Statistics & current form
For those who are wide-eyed at Barça’s odds, let us explain straight away: For FC Barcelona, there is nothing left to play for. The only thing left is to say goodbye in front of the home crowd.
A final victory is needed, even if second place was secured last week with the 0:0 against Getafe. Although Xavi’s team fulfilled its target in the Madrid suburb, Barça’s performance in Getafe was extremely poor. Goal-scoring chances were not only scarce, but non-existent.
How motivated is Barça – and how much does Xavi rotate?
Of course, that should now improve against Villarreal at the Camp Nou. But the question is: How much will Barça go full throttle, knowing that there is nothing left to play for anyway? It’s also possible that Xavi will again give a lot of reserve players plenty of playing time. That should also be taken into account when betting on Barcelona vs. Villarreal.
In addition, Xavi will have to do without a few regular players anyway: Gerard Piqué (adductor), Eric Garcia (hand operation), Sergiño Dest (muscle injury) and Pedri (muscle injury) are definitely out, possibly even Ronald Araujo (concussion) and Memphis Depay (had to pull out against Getafe).
This is another reason why we favour a prediction of more than 2.5 goals for Barcelona vs. Villarreal, possibly coupled with the tip that both teams will score. Barça’s defence is always sloppy anyway – and Villarreal still have Europe at stake.
Predicted line-up of Barcelona:
Ter Stegen – Alves, Araujo, Lenglet, Alba – Busquets, de Jong, Gavi – Dembélé, Aubameyang, Torres
Last matches played by Barcelona:
La Liga
16/05/2022 – Getafe 0 – 0 FC Barcelona
11/05/2022 – FC Barcelona 3 – 1 Celta Vigo
08/05/2022 – Real Betis 1 – 2 FC Barcelona
02/05/2022 – FC Barcelona 2 – 1 Mallorca
25/04/2022 – FC Barcelona 0 – 1 Rayo Vallecano
Villarreal – Statistics & current form
Villarreal FC lost the Europa League in the “final” match with sixth-placed Real Sociedad last matchday – and that after leading at home. Although they were leading 1:0, they ended up with a bitter 1:2. Thus, the Europa League is out of reach, and now they have to at least make it into the Conference League.
Villarreal are currently in 7th place, but have Athletic Bilbao breathing down their necks, who are only one point behind Villarreal and thus providing pressure. With a win, Villarreal would be in Europe next year – Barcelona vs. Villarreal betting brings odds of 3.
Villarreal under pressure: Will it be enough for the Conference League?
But if the Yellow Submarine loses at Camp Nou, Villarreal will have to hope that Bilbao also lose in the parallel match. Because if the Basques pick up a point and end up level on points with Villarreal, they would move into the Conference League on the basis of the direct comparison they won (2-1, 1-1).
The legitimate question from Villarreal’s point of view, however, is: how much do this year’s Champions League semi-finalists actually want to play in the third-tier European competition next year? Winning against FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou is not an easy task anyway, and it usually requires 100 per cent commitment. Will Villarreal give it – and if so, will it be enough?
Villarreal’s likely line-up:
Rulli – Foyth, Albiol, Torres, Estupiñan – Parejo, Capoue, Coquelin, Chukqueze, Lo Celso – Dia
Last matches played by Villarreal:
La Liga
16/05/2022 – Villarreal FC 1 – 2 Real Sociedad
13/05/2022 – Rayo Vallecano 1 – 5 Villarreal FC
08/05/2022 – Villarreal FC 1 – 1 Sevilla FC
Champions League Final
04/05/2022 – Villarreal FC 2 – 3 Liverpool FC
La Liga
30/04/2022 – Deportivo Alaves 2 – 1 Villarreal FC
Barcelona – Villarreal Direct Comparison / H2H Balance
Villarreal FC’s record against FC Barcelona doesn’t exactly inspire hope either. The Yellow Submarine’s last win dates back to the 2007/08 season – since then, there has been no success for 27 games! So not only is Barça unbeaten in 27 games against Villarreal, they have won 21 of them.
The Blaugrana won the first encounter this season 3-1 at Villarreal on matchday 15.
Barcelona – Villarreal Tip
Villarreal have match point at Camp Nou for Conference League participation – but it is truly not an easy one to convert. Villarreal have only won three times at Camp Nou in their club history, picking up a point four other times (in 23 games). That point could be worth its weight in gold this time, however, if Athletic Bilbao pick up a point in their game at Sevilla (truly not an easy visit either), as it would keep them ahead of the Basques, who are tied on points to book ECL participation.
We don’t think Villarreal will win, even though Barça have nothing at stake in the final game. A point win would be more conceivable, but Barça will also be keen to say goodbye to the season with a win in front of their home crowd. We can therefore also imagine a home win. In any case, we expect goals on both sides in this match – which is why our prediction for the Barcelona vs. Villarreal match is: Barcelona or a draw and both teams score
