The Submarine will look to become the first team to win at Barça’s ground this season in LALIGA EA Sports (Saturday, 4.15pm CET)
Villarreal CF face a major challenge against FC Barcelona in the Matchday 26 fixture of LALIGA EA Sports, which will be played this Saturday at 4.15pm CET at the Spotify Camp Nou.
The Yellow Submarine arrive in outstanding form, having secured two hugely important consecutive victories in the Valencian derbies against Levante (0-1) and Valencia (2-1). Those wins have lifted them to third place in the table with 51 points, climbing one position. It has been a crucial boost both in the standings and in morale after the previous setback in Getafe.
Awaiting them is an FC Barcelona side that has reclaimed top spot in the league. The azulgranas come into the match after losing to Girona (2-1), but responded strongly with a convincing 3-0 win over Levante UD. They continue their intense battle with Real Madrid for first place, with only one point separating the two.
Barcelona have been one of Villarreal CF’s most demanding opponents. While it is true that in recent years they have been particularly tough at the Estadio de la Cerámica—where the Submarine have not beaten them since 2007—the story changes when the venue is Barcelona.
In the reverse fixture earlier this season, Marcelino’s team competed well, but an early penalty and a first-half red card weighed heavily on the match, which ultimately fell the way of Hansi Flick’s side (0-2), despite the strong performance from the Submarine both with 11 men and with 10.
Barcelona, a stage that inspires belief
The script shifts when the match is played in Barcelona. Villarreal have recorded three wins in their last four visits to the Catalan capital, delivering memorable performances.
One of the most spectacular came in the 2023/24 season. The Submarine took a 0-2 lead, Barça turned it around to 3-2, and just when everything seemed lost, Villarreal stunned the azulgrana fortress with two stoppage‑time goals from Alexander Sørloth and José Luis Morales to seal an unforgettable 3-5 victory.
In the previous season, history repeated itself at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. Ayoze put the groguets ahead 0-1, Barça turned the scoreline around to lead 2-1, and Villarreal responded with character. Santi Comesaña and Tajon Buchanan sealed a 2-3 victory to reaffirm the Yellow Submarine’s authority on blaugrana soil. With this remarkable feat, the Submarine secured fifth place to qualify for the Champions League against a Catalan side that had already been crowned champions of the domestic competition.
Even in the 2021/22 season, Villarreal also won at the Camp Nou, 0-2, with goals from Pedraza and Moi Gómez. Remarkably, the Yellow Submarine have lost only one —and won three— of their last four away matches against FC Barcelona.
