Villarreal vs Barcelona 03/04/19

3 April 2019

Barcelona continue their quest of defending La Liga title as they travel to the Estadio de la Ceramica to tackle Villarreal looking to stretch an outstanding 21-game unbeaten run against the Castellon-based outfit (W16, D5).

The relegation-threatened hosts are enduring an underwhelming LL campaign as they currently sit barely one point above the relegation zone. The Yellow Submarine go into this meeting off a frustrating 3-2 road loss to Celta Vigo that has seen them dropping a two-goal lead in the second half. Saturday’s failure has halt Villarreal’s four-game winning streak, and it was also the seventh time in their last eight games across all competitions that Javier Calleja’s men failed to keep a clean sheet. Another potential worry for Calleja is Villarreal’s unexpected struggling at home (W3, D6, L6) although his players picked up six points in three of their previous LL home outings (W2, L1).

On the other hand, the visitors have racked up a six-game LL winning run as they come into this meeting after pulling off a routine 2-0 home win over local rivals Espanyol last weekend. No Spanish team can match Barca’s impressive LL road record (W10, D3, L1), with the Catalans being the only team in LL to secure double-figure wins away from home. Moreover, no team has scored more goals on the road than the Blaugrana (31) this term, with Ernesto Valverde bagging 2+ match goals on eight of 14 LL road trips. Last but not least, the reigning holders have preserved a clean slate in five of their last eight LL road clashes, as they continue to boast the best defensive road record in the Spanish top tier (11 goals conceded).