Undoubtedly the most eye-catching fixture of the weekend in the Primera Division is Villarreal’s visit to Barcelona on Saturday night, an encounter that pits Real Madrid’s closest rivals in the title race against each other.
Barca presently lie one point behind los Blancos in the standings and will be hopeful of taking temporary charge of the league prior to the capital side’s encounter with Sporting de Gijon on Sunday. But Pep Guardiola’s men cannot afford to treat this fixture lightly; not only are Villarreal in terrific form, la Blaugrana have not always been themselves at Camp Nou this term.
A shock defeat against Hercules and a draw against Mallorca have gone some way to puncturing the aura of invincibility that surrounds the Catalan venue. This is, however, nit-picking to some extent as la Blaugrana have won all of their other eight top flight fixtures this season and have made serene progress in the Copa del Rey, in which they defeated Ceuta 5-1 on Wednesday with the help of several fringe players and youngsters.
Guardiola has persistently fought off claims that his side aren’t playing as well as they have done over the course of the last two years, but the real test for the very best sides always comes in the biggest matches. Make no mistake, Saturday evening’s encounter is huge, and Barcelona will be very much focussed towards it.
A Third Force?
At the start of the season it was Valencia and Atletico Madrid who were tipped to become Spain’s ‘third force’ this term, while Villarreal were dismissed somewhat after a scrappy opening day defeat against newly promoted Real Sociedad had the vultures circling over El Madrigal. Such predictions have proven wholly premature as the Yellow Submarine have emerged from this gloom to record seven wins in their last nine fixtures.
Typically strong at home, Juan Carlos Garrido’s side have picked up 15 points from 15 in front of their supporters. But the most impressive aspect of their play has been their form on the road, though they have not been seriously tested on their travels before this weekend.
The next month is likely to be defining for Garrido’s men. They’ve overcome many of the Spanish top flight’s middleweights in the early part of the campaign but in the lead up to Christmas they have Valencia and Sevilla to face after their trip to Barcelona on Saturday night.
Should the Yellow Submarine earn three points, there can be little doubt that they should be seriously regarded as potential challengers for the Liga crown, but it seems that they don’t quite have the power yet to achieve such a result away from home.
TEAM NEWS
Barcelona
Gabriel Milito faces between four and six weeks on the sidelines due to a thigh injury. Meanwhile, Gerard Pique’s suspension after his red card against Getafe last weekend means that youngster Marc Bartra has been tipped for a role in the starting XI come the weekend.
Adriano has been suffering from gastroenteritis and should be classed as doubtful, and Jeffren is back training with the main body of players after suffering back problems.
Villarreal
Marcos Senna is experiencing hamstring problems and the veteran midfielder is doubtful to feature at Camp Nou. Bruno Soriano will feature if the veteran battler does indeed sit out.
Marco Ruben is fit again, and Gonzalo Rodriguez purged a one-match suspension last weekend.
Prediction
Had this fixture been played at El Madrigal, where Villarreal have been almost flawless under Juan Carlos Garrido, they would have had a better shot at victory. Barcelona have not been infallible at home but have the ability and mentality to raise their game for the biggest matches. Come full-time, Barca should be celebrating being top of the table, even if it is only a brief tenure at the summit.
Barcelona 3-1 Villarreal 
