Villarreal will fight for the three points against FC Barcelona (Saturday, 6:30pm CET)
A demanding and exciting challenge ahead. Villarreal CF leave this afternoon from the José Manuel Llaneza Training Ground to Montjuïc to play tomorrow’s league match against FC Barcelona at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, starting at 6.30pm, with the aim of taking on the reigning LALIGA EA SPORTS champions.
The Matchday 22 fixture pits two teams who are not at their best at the moment, but three points would help them get back on the right track towards a more positive dynamic.
In their last match, Villarreal saw RCD Mallorca snatch a last-gasp point despite the superiority shown by the Submarine throughout the game. Thus, the team coached by Marcelino García Toral earned a bittersweet point that keeps them five points away from the relegation zone and with a record of victories for the first time this year.
For their part, FC Barcelona were painfully eliminated from the Copa del Rey last Wednesday after losing 4-2 to Athletic Club at San Mamés. In LALIGA, the team coached by Xavi Hernández are far from retaining the title as they are eight points behind current leaders Girona and seven behind second-placed Real Madrid.
Villarreal will once again play in a stadium, the Lluís Companys, where they had memorable victories against RCD Espanyol, a team that for many years played in the stadium in Montjuïc. Now they will do so against Barça, a team they have beaten four times as visitors. Among these triumphs, the one in the 1998/99 season stands out above all others, when the Submarine, on their first visit to the Camp Nou, won 1-3 thanks to a stellar performance by Gica Craioveanu.
Referees
José Luís Munuera Montero will be the main referee for the tie, with help from the VAR room from Santiago Jaime Latre.
