Barcelona vs Villarreal

Barcelona are set to receive the La Liga trophy on Sunday evening following their clash with Villarreal, having officially clinched the title with a 2-0 win over Espanyol in the Catalan derby on Thursday. Goals from Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez sealed the championship for Hansi Flick’s side.

They came close to being crowned champions a day earlier, only for Real Madrid to score a dramatic late winner against Mallorca and delay the celebration. Nonetheless, the midweek victory moved Barcelona to 85 points—seven clear of Madrid with just two rounds remaining—securing an uncatchable lead.

Under Flick, the Catalan club has already lifted three domestic trophies this season, including the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey. However, their Champions League exit remains a sore spot in an otherwise stellar campaign.

Barcelona will return to a newly renovated Camp Nou next season, and given the depth and quality in their squad, they could continue to dominate Spanish football. That said, Real Madrid are expected to be active in the summer transfer window in a bid to close the gap.

Before wrapping up the season against Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona will celebrate their title on home soil at the Estadi Olímpic, but they face a tough test against a Villarreal side that still has plenty to play for.

The Yellow Submarine currently sit fifth in the table with 64 points from 36 games, holding a five-point cushion over sixth-placed Real Betis in the battle for Champions League qualification. Marcelino’s men come into the match on a four-game winning streak, having defeated Espanyol, Osasuna, Girona, and Leganes.

Villarreal have been among the most entertaining teams this season, scoring 64 goals—the third-highest tally in La Liga—but they’ve also conceded 47, the most among the top six teams.

They famously beat Barcelona 5-3 in this fixture last season but were thrashed 5-1 in the reverse meeting earlier this term. Interestingly, Villarreal’s last three league wins over Barcelona have all come on the road, and they boast the second-best away record in the league this season, collecting 33 points from 18 away games.

With that in mind, Barcelona will need to be at their best to avoid having their title celebration dampened by a Villarreal side still hungry to secure European qualification.