Only two news items to report for the now officially La Liga champions FC Barcelona this week. Sunday sees the domestic treble winners welcome in Villarreal, and central defender Inigo Martinez should be back in the squad after serving his suspension in the 2-0 win over Espanyol.
The Barcelona derby was a festive, title clinching affair, but it also saw defender Ronald Araujo forced off early, due to a muscular problem.
Villarreal at FC Barcelona FYIs
Kick: Sun. May 18, 7pm, Estadi Olympic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
La Liga Standing: Villarreal 5th, 64 pts FC Barcelona Campeones
Google Result Probability: Villarreal 26% Draw 22% FC Barcelona 52%
Barca Team News vs Villarreal
Araujo is a doubt for this one, while Ferran Torres, Jules Kounde and Marc Bernal are all ruled out. They may not feature next weekend either, so it’s possible their campaigns are already done.
While these last two games are part of the denouement for Barca, it’s still a very meaningful match for Villarreal, who are hoping to finish in the top four.
The Yellow Submarine will go full bore in this one.
Barca Starting Lineup Prediction vs Villarreal
Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Alejandro Balde; Frenkie de Jong, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha; Robert Lewandowski
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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