FC Barcelona will be back in action in LaLiga EA Sports 2024/25 next Sunday, September 15 against Villarreal at the Estadio de la Cerámica. The Barça squad will seek to shake off the 'blow' received in the Champions League debut against Monaco and maintain their unbeaten run in the league championship, where they already have 15 out of 15 after the last victory at Montilivi. For its part, the 'Yellow Submarine' wants to cut points from the Catalans, since a victory at home would leave one of them at the top of the standings.
Despite the fact that the visit to the yellow fiefdom is never easy, the Catalans have managed to come out on top in the last five games played in the Valencian Community, adding five victories in a row. However, Hansi Flick's team is severely weakened by injuries and the suspension of Ferran Torres, leaving the Blaugrana coach with little room to rotate despite the tight schedule. Below is our prediction of the lineups for the match:
Probable lineups for Villarreal-FC Barcelona in LaLiga
- Villarreal XI: Conde; Femenía, Albiol, Logan Costa, Cardona; Comesaña, Parejo, Akhomach, Baena; Ayoze Pérez y Barry.
- FC Barcelona XI: Ter Stegen, Koundé, Pau Cubarsí, Iñigo Martínez, Balde; Eric García, Casadó, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Raphinha y Lewandowski
Ter Stegen
The goalkeeper is in a bad way for the league match after the serious mistake he made against AS Monaco that ultimately led to the Catalans' defeat. His start to the season is beginning to cause concern at Can Barça, where they are still expecting much more from the first team captain. At Villarreal he will have the opportunity to turn things around and keep his second clean sheet of the campaign.
Koundé-Cubarsí-Iñigo Martínez-Balde
Unless there is a surprise, Flick will keep his four untouchables in defence. The German confirmed the presence of Cubarsí in the centre of defence, and in the absence of replacements, Iñigo Martínez will continue to accompany him. On the other hand, although the presence of Héctor Fort or Gerard Martín on one of the sides is not completely ruled out, it seems difficult for the coach to decide to do without Koundé or Balde in a highly demanding match such as the one on 22 September.
Casadó-Eric García-Pedri
The Barça midfield is completely 'weighed down' by injuries, which is why everything points to Flick repeating the trident used in the Champions League opener. Eric García would once again have a chance as a starter after his expulsion last Thursday to cover the pivot, while Casadó and Pedri would be in charge of directing the team's play in attack. On the bench, Pablo Torre will wait for his chance to give one of the latter two a rest.
Lamine Yamal-Lewandowski-Raphinha
Finally, the Barça forward line will remain intact due to the absence of Ferran Torres and the lack of experience of Ansu Fati, who will almost certainly get minutes at La Cerámica, although he will come off the bench. Lamine Yamal will look to maintain his scoring streak and score for the third consecutive game, while Raphinha and Lewandowski also aim to score after two games in which they have been 'unseen'.