Dumped out of the Copa Del Rey, in the quarterfinal round at the hands of Athletic Club, FC Barcelona have little time to ruminate about the loss. Villarreal is coming to Catalonia in less than a couple days.
This should be a great one, as both Barcelona and Villarreal boast a rich history in Spanish football.
FC Barcelona vs Villarreal FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. Jan. 27, 6:30 CET, Olympic Stadium, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Barca Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
La Liga Standing, Form: Villarreal 14th 20 pts, DLLWD FC Barcelona 3rd, 44 pts, WWWDL
Google Result Probability: Villarreal 12% Draw 16% FC Barcelona 72%
The Catalan club have an illustrious past with numerous titles, both domestic and continental. They always brings a sense of footballing excellence. Villarreal, while nowhere near as decorated, have consistently been a very competitive side and have substantial successes to speak of; especially so in the UEFA Europa League.
Xavi needs to get this win, right here and right now to try and cool his seat. Below, we believe, is the best lineup he can start with in order to achieve that objective over the Yellow Submarine.
FC Barcelona vs Villarreal Starting XI Prediction
Inaki Pena; Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Cubarsi, Hector Fort; Frenkie De Jong, Ilkay Gundogan, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Ferran Toress, Joao Felix.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager 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.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.