Barcelona vs Villarreal

Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys forms the backdrop for a potentially high-scoring La Liga game between newly-crowned champions Barcelona and top-five hopefuls Villarreal.

Barcelona sealed their 28th La Liga title with a 2-0 away win against bitter Catalan rivals Espanyol in midweek. With nothing to fight for in the last two rounds, Hansi Flick’s charges may seek entertainment as they prepare to hoist the crown on their temporary home ground in style. Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys has been a fortress in 2025, with Barcelona winning nine of their ten home outings in La Liga this calendar year (D1), including a stunning 4-3 victory against arch-rivals Real Madrid last time out. Another success looms as Los Blaugranas take on a Villarreal side they’ve only lost to twice in their previous 32 H2H meetings (W25, D5). Ominously, both defeats came across the last three H2Hs in Catalonia, offering a note of caution ahead of the kick-off.

Villarreal claimed a famous 5-3 victory at this stadium last term, and replicating that success would seal their top-five finish with a game to spare. Confidence remains high among the visiting camp after El Submarino Amarillo won their last four league outings, including a 3-0 rout of bottom-half Leganes in midweek, to steer five points clear of sixth-placed Real Betis. It’s been almost a decade since Villarreal won five top-flight matches on the trot, yet five wins from their seven most recent La Liga road trips (L2) suggest they could do that for the first time since January 2016. Worryingly, Marcelino Garcia Toral’s men have yet to beat a team currently above them this term (D3, L4), highlighting the size of the task ahead.