Barcelona 2 - 0 Villarreal: Piqué and Aleña goals provide win
A late goal from substitute Aleña made sure of the victory at the Camp Nou on Sunday, but Villarreal made the champions work hard.
Having slumped to a shock 4-3 defeat by Real Betis in their last outing at the Nou Camp, it was paramount that Barcelona got back to winning ways against Villarreal, and although they took the three points their display left a lot to be desired.
Philippe Coutinho was booed off the pitch after an anonymous display and even Lionel Messi struggled to liven up a lukewarm atmosphere until late in the game, when he set up youngster Carles Alena's goal which sealed the win. Gerard Piqué had scored shortly before half-time to help some of the nerves in the stadium.
Barca have become renowned over the last decade for monopolising possession but for the second home game running they saw far less of the ball than they are used to, with coach Ernesto Valverde conceding "without the ball, we suffer".
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Barcelona
After losing to Betis and then drawing in the Metropolitan Wanda, Valverde got a much needed victory in the Champions League midweek. Following that up with three points at home tonight will put the reigning champions back on top of the league (at least until Sevilla play later on) and Villarreal, potentially tired from their Europa League Thursday, are a welcome opponent.
There may be some less familiar clubs near the top of the table, and the accepted 'big three' can't afford to be slipping up at home to lesser opposition. Real Madrid did the business against Valencia on Saturday and valverde needs the same result.
We expect the same line-up from the Champions League win, meaning Dembélé gets another chance to prove his worth.
Villarreal
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Too close to the relegation zone for their liking but a win against Real Betis last time out was an important boost. A game at the Camp Nou for a side like the Yellow Submarines can normally be seen as a free hit, but this time out Calleja will look at a less than invincible opponent in their way.
The very young Chukwueze gives fans real reason to be excited, who impressed against Glasgow Rangers. He'll need to be right on form again for this challenge, while several eyes will be keen to see the return of Cazorla to the Camp Nou. Keep an eye on Gerard Moreno to see how he gets at as leaky backline.