Villarreal CF vs FC Barcelona: A top-of-the-table match-up that always produces goals

This Sunday’s Villarreal CF vs FC Barcelona match could be one of the most entertaining of the season, as two in-form and high-scoring teams face off at the Estadio de la Cerámica. Not only is this an important game, as the league leaders visit the fourth-placed team, but this match will feature some of the best attacking talents in LALIGA EA SPORTS. 

If this weekend’s game is anything like either of their duels from last season, then we’re in for a treat. In 2023/24, both of these clubs won the away fixture when they met, with FC Barcelona winning 4-3 when the teams met in Castellón at the beginning of the campaign and with Villarreal CF earning revenge by triumphing 5-3 in the return game in Catalonia. Those matches produced a total of 15 goals and each match had three lead changes. So, excitement is building ahead of this latest meeting. 

There hasn’t been a goalless draw between these two teams in over a decade, not since January of 2012. Since then, they have faced off on 24 occasions and these matches have had an average of 3.92 goals each one.

The first meeting of Marcelino and Hansi Flick

The tactical tussle will be fun to watch, as Marcelino and Hansi Flick have never previously coached against each other. They were two of the three managers nominated for the August Coach of the Month prize in LALIGA EA SPORTS, which the German went on to claim, as both their teams have started the new season by picking up points and by scoring goals. 

FC Barcelona come into this Matchday 6 fixture top of the table with a 100 percent record, having won their first five games of the league season for the first time since 2017/18. Villarreal CF, meanwhile, are fourth, although their points haul of 11 is equal to second-placed and third-placed Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid. 

Marcelino returned to the Estadio de la Cerámica last November and has turned the situation at Villarreal CF around, building a team with the kind of solid back line he has become known for but also a free-flowing attack. El Submarino Amarillo made 10 signings during the summer transfer market and they’re already clicking, especially Ayoze Pérez as he has already directly secured five points for the club with his late goals, such as his 95th-minute winner away at RCD Mallorca last weekend. 

FC Barcelona are also thriving in attack, having scored 17 goals in just five matches. On the right side of attack they have the LALIGA EA SPORTS August Player of the Month Raphinha and on the left they have the August Under-23 Player of the Month Lamine Yamal, both of whom are dribbling past defenders, providing assists and scoring goals. In the centre is Robert Lewandowski, who is the top scorer of the competition with four goals already. It is a potent attack, while the defence has been stubborn too and new club captain Marc-André ter Stegen has conceded just four goals. 

This weekend, these two in-form teams will do battle at 18:30 CEST on Sunday and it promises to be one of the best games of the season so far. Fans will tune in to see if FC Barcelona can keep up their perfect record in this game, which is surely their toughest test yet, while chances and goals are to be expected at both ends of the pitch.