There is no doubt what the main match is La Liga this weekend- FC Barcelona at Villarreal CF. Actually, it’s probably the biggest game in all of football this weekend. Barcelona have won seven straight league games. For Villarreal, the current streak is six.
Something’s gotta give, right? This is the irresisibtle force against the immovable object.
Barcelona at Villarreal CF FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. Sept 15 4:15 CET, El Madrigal, Villarreal, Spain
Barca Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
La Liga Standing, Form: Villarreal CF 3rd, 35 pts, WWWWW FC Barcelona 1st, 43 pts, WWWWW
Google Result Probability: Villarreal CF 26% Draw 21% FC Barcelona 53%
The first place versus third place clash features two sides that are playing much better domestically than they are on the continent. Barca are very mid-table in the Champions League- 15th out of 36.
Meanwhile the Yellow Submarine are the penultimate side in the UCL. Yes, they currently sit 35th in the European table. Not saying they’re going all in on La Liga, but that’s what it feels like.
Barcelona Predicted Starting XI at Villarreal CF
Joan Garcia; Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Alejandro Balde; Frenkie De Jong, Eric Garcia; Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha; Ferran Torres
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.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.