Barcelona will play Villarreal in Matchday 34 of La Liga on Sunday. Following their disappointing 2-2 draw against Atletico Madrid, a victory at the Estadio de la Ceramica is the only way for Barca to keep their La Liga hopes alive.
Villarreal currently sit 5th in La Liga with 54 points having scored 53 goals and conceded 40 in their 33 matches so far. Having lost only 3 of their 16 home matches this season, supporters of the Yellow Submarine will surely be hopeful for a win against one of the most vulnerable Barcelona teams in recent history.
As explained in much more detail in our latest The Barcelona Podcast, the Catalans are in the middle of an institutional crisis at almost every level. Quique Setien does not seem to be able to control his veteran players, Josep Maria Bartomeu seems more focused of finances than sporting success and, as if that wasn’t enough, Lionel Messi has reportedly stopped contract negotiations, which could very well see Barca’s best ever goalscorer leave the Camp Nou in July 2021.
Listen to The Barcelona Podcast for our passionate discussion on the current situation:
As I explained in our latest The Barcelona Podcast, Riqui Puig is no longer a potential option for the future, but a necessary starter of the present. The La Masia graduate adds a degree of ambition that is rare in the current Barca dressing room and, with his dynamism and quick footballing IQ, he forces his teammates to step their games up, to use that extra gear that ultimately unbalances games.
Ansu Fati also deserves to start, and for very similar reasons. The teenage winger understands the team’s system and is fully identified with the club, to the point that he gets annoyed if the team is not winning. Ultimately, Barca have been the most successful in their history when not players are not only great, but also become Culers through and through. Key protagonists on the pitch must have a degree of pride and love for the club that, unfortunately, often seems rare within the current squad.
After playing almost 210 minutes of football in the last three matches, it is time for Setien to finally overcome player power and rest Luis Suarez. Sure, El Pistolero can score even when not at his physical peak but, in my eyes, that is not enough to consistently keep Antoine Griezmann watching from the bench. The French international also has a point to prove after being humiliated in the game against former club Atletico Madrid, so that extra burst of motivation must be used for the benefit of the team.
Here is my suggested The Barcelona Podcast XI for the Blaugranes’ away match against Villarreal:
Real Madrid lead La Liga with a now comfortable four points advantage over Barcelona. While many are arguing that Setien should focus on resting his players for the Champions League in August, I do believe that Barca simply can’t throw away their domestic league chances until the title is mathematically impossible. We are Barca and must compete until the very end.
Despite the current situation of turmoil surrounding the club, I trust that Barcelona will beat Villarreal with a 0-2 victory on Tuesday.
