Barcelona are back in La Liga action against Villarreal this weekend and there is already a feeling they have extra work to do if they are to defend their crown.
With Real Madrid winning their first two games, the draw Barcelona laboured to on the opening weekend at Getafe seems important. Carlo Ancelotti's side are looking very strong and there is already ground to make up.
Villarreal are never an easy team to play and Xavi will be fearing a scenario in which his side ends up five points behind Real Madrid after just three games of the season. It's still early days, but there is often very little margin for error in the La Liga title race.
Here is all you need to know about Barcelona's clash with Villarreal in the Valencia region this weekend.
Where is Villarreal vs Barcelona happening?
- Location: Villarreal, Spain
- Stadium: Estadio de la Ceramica
- Date: Sunday 27 August
- Kick-off Time: 16:30 BST / 11:30 ET / 08:30 PT
- Referee: Alejandro Hernandez
Villarreal vs Barcelona H2H record (last five games)
- Villarreal: 0 wins
- Barcelona: 5 wins
- Draws: 0
Current form (last five competitive games)
- Villarreal: WLDLW
- Barcelona: LWLDW
How to watch Villarreal vs Barcelona on TV and live stream
Villarreal team news
Villarreal have seen some important players such as Pau Torres and Samuel Chukwueze leave the club over the summer and also have a couple of injuries to concern themselves with ahead of this clash with Barcelona.
Former Premier League duo Alberto Moreno and Francis Coquelin are ruled out with hamstring and knee injuries respectively. It is a squad with good depth and Alfonso Pedraza is more than capable at left-back, while there is muscle in midfield with Dani Parejo and Etienne Capoue.
Villarreal predicted lineup vs Barcelona
Villarreal predicted lineup vs Barcelona (4-3-3): Jorgensen; Foyth, Gabbia, Cuenca, Pedraza; Capoue, Parejo, Baena; Moreno, Sorloth, Brereton Diaz
Barcelona team news
As is always the case, Barcelona's squad is not completely settled, both in a fitness and a transfer sense. They are still trying to get deals done late in the window and Xavi has a number of important absentees to deal with in Villarreal.
Pedri suffered a thigh injury recently and will be out until October, while Ronald Araujo and Inigo Martinez are two defensive options who are off of the table for the Spanish coach. On top of that, Raphinha is suspended and won't play any part.
Barcelona predicted lineup vs Villarreal
Barcelona predicted lineup vs Villarreal (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Kounde, Christensen, Garcia, Balde; Gundogan, Romeu, Gavi; Torres, Lewandowski, Fati
Villarreal vs Barcelona score prediction
Villarreal are never an easy team to play against and have the home advantage. There are also plenty of selection issues for Xavi to deal with so don't expect this one to be a walk in the park for the Blaugrana.
It won't be easy to break Villarreal down but there is enough firepower and players with a point to prove that they should still manage to get three points, even if it is not a convincing victory.
Prediction: Villarreal 1-2 Barcelona
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This article was originally published on 90min as Villarreal vs Barcelona - La Liga: TV channel, team news, lineups & prediction.