Barcelona no longer depends on itself to be champion of LaLiga, but it needs to start adding to put pressure on Real Madrid and Girona, and the next rival in this objective is an irregular Villarreal.
With a brilliant performance by striker Ferran Torres, who scored a hat-trick, the ‘Culés’ beat Real Betis 4-2 away last weekend.
Meanwhile, Villarreal suffered another setback, as they drew 1-1 at home against Mallorca, a team they should beat due to the quality of the squads.
When and Where?
Saturday, January 27, 12:30 pm ET at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
Moneyline odds:
Barcelona 1.36
Villarreal 8.7
Draw Offs:
6.22
Where Can I Watch?
Why Bet on Barcelona?
After the blow of losing the Super Cup 4-1 to Real Madrid, Barcelona recovered with victories against Unionistas (1-3) and Real Betis (2-4), but this Wednesday, they tied 2-2 with Athletic Bilbao on the Copa del Rey and lost 4-2 in extra time.
On the last matchday, they achieved an important 4-2 away win over Real Betis, with a hat-trick by striker Ferran Torres (seven goals and two assists), one of the players most criticized for his irregular level throughout the season. The other goal was by Portuguese Joao Felix, a player who started well, went through a slump, and has improved his performance lately. The midfielder has scored or assisted in three of the last four matches.
Unlike historically, in the last five home games for LaLiga, Xavi Hernandez’s team has earned nine points, losing to Girona and Real Madrid, the teams above them in the standings.
Polish striker Robert Lewandowski is not having his best season, but he is still the team’s top scorer with eight goals.
The club’s injured players are goalkeeper Marc-André Ter Stegen, full-back Marcos Alonso, defender Íñigo Martínez, midfielder Gavi, and Brazilian winger Raphinha.
Why Bet on Villarreal?
Villarreal has been a huge disappointment this season. Unlike other years, when they were fighting for the possibility of playing in the Champions League, this time they are closer to relegation.
In the last presentation, the ‘Submarino Amarillo’ drew 1-1 with Mallorca at home. Alexander Sörloth got the lead for the locals, and Javier Llabrés made the definitive equalizer at La Cerámica.
Villarreal is in 14th position with 20 points, five more than Cádiz, the last team to be relegated. It is 21 units away from the places that give way to the Champions League.
Marcelino García Toral is the coach of this club, which has lost three consecutive away matches and has four games without winning, including a draw with Unionistas from the third division in the Copa del Rey that ended with elimination on penalties. Away from home, the team has two wins in 10 matches, conceding 20 goals and scoring only ten times.
Amid all the bad things the institution is going through, Gerard Moreno is the most outstanding player, with nine celebrations.
The injured players of the Yellow Submarine are defenders Raúl Albiol and Juan Foyth, midfielders Dani Parejo, Alfonso Pedraza, Denis Suárez, Ramón Terrats, and striker Jeremy Pino.
Final Betting Analysis: Barcelona vs. Villarreal
This season, they already met, and the Catalans won 4-3, with goals from Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Ferran, and Robert Lewandowski.
The numbers at Gambyl Exchange have Barcelona as the favorite. The Moneyline for them shows 1.36, while Villarreal has 8.7, and the draw is at 6.22.
Villarreal is far from its best version and is not fighting to get into European places, that is why Barcelona will end up with the three points in front of its public, taking advantage of their offensive quality.
Go for a win in Barcelona’s Moneyline. If you bet $100 at 1.36, you will gain $36 for a total payout of $136.
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