Villarreal finished fifth in the La Liga standings last season, with the Yellow Submarine having to cope with the departure of Unai Emery and the Spaniard has subsequently signed Pau Torres for Aston Villa. However, fifth place was a reasonable outcome which has once again earned the side European football and the bookies respect them for this clash against Barca.

The Catalan side recorded 88 points to claim the title last season and they were able to win thirteen of their nineteen away games played, with Xavi’s side having shipped twenty goals in total last term which was a really impressive achievement. It appears that Barca have continued in a similar vein on the basis of their first two matches.

A goalless draw at Getafe saw Barcelona command 75% of possession, although four shots on target did not yield the breakthrough. It was a hot-tempered affair which not only saw Raphinha sent off but also Juan Mata red carded for the home side. There was the same possession against Cadiz in the next game where 75% of the ball was enjoyed.

Therefore, we should expect Barca to see plenty of the ball in this clash against Villarreal although any victory might be achieved by a slender margin. Therefore, it might be worth looking at a narrow winning scoreline such as 1-0 or 2-0 in favour of the Catalan side who might have to work hard in order to earn a victory.

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