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Following a tense El Clásico last weekend, which ended with the points shared (2-2), Barcelona are in a prime position to complete the 2017/’18 season unbeaten.
The result extended the Catalan club’s unbeaten La Liga (LL) streak to 42 games. Here, it is a determined Villarreal side that will attempt to ruin the Barcelona class of 2018’s shot at history. The visitors need one more win to secure a Europa League berth for next season.
Although Javier Calleja and his Villarreal side can almost smell Europe, this may not be the game in which they secure that. Barcelona have won on each of Villarreal’s last seven visits here (in all competitions), scoring 3+ goals in all but one game.
Barcelona’s 42-game unbeaten streak has long since put Real Sociedad’s record of 38 games to bed in impressive fashion. Ernesto Valverde’s men should have no trouble in extending it as Villarreal have picked up just one win from their last seven away games (W1, D2, L4).
Players to watch: LL’s all-time top scorer Lionel Messi is in red hot form at the minute including scoring five goals in his last three games.
Carlos Bacca has scored six goals in his last five games for Villarreal, helping them to their current three-match winning streak.
Stat attack: Barcelona have scored at least two goals in 27 of their last 29 home games. Additionally, each of their last seven games against Villarreal at the Nou Camp have produced over 2.5 goals in total, with both teams scoring in four of those games.
In terms of clashes between the sides anywhere, Barcelona are unbeaten in 19 encounters against Villarreal, scoring first in six out of the last seven, and scoring in the last 11.
POSSIBLE LINEUPS
Barcelona (4-4-2)
Ter Stegen; Roberto, Piqué, Vermaelen, Alba; Paulinho, Rakitic, Busquets, Gomes; Messi, Suárez
Villarreal (4-3-1-2)
Asenjo; Mario, González, Ruiz, Costa; Trigueros, Rodri, Soriano; Fornals; Bacca, Bakambu
predictions barcelona - 1.25 over 1.50 ht correct score 3-1
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