La Liga: Villarreal vs Barcelona Odds
Barcelona Yet to Concede Goal
Both Sides Up and Running With First Wins
Villarreal and Barcelona got their first season wins on La Liga Matchday 2. Barça, the defending La Liga champions, took down Cadiz, while Villarreal got a win over Mallorca on the road. Barcelona now heads on the road to Villarreal in a match between two teams involved in European competitions this season. We’ll run through the Villarreal vs Barcelona odds for Sunday’s Estadio de la Cerámica match. This one projects to match the weekend on the La Liga schedule.
Villarreal vs Barcelona
Day/Time:
Location: Estadio de la Ceramica, Villarreal, Spain
Head-to-Head:
Barcelona got two solid La Liga results vs. Villarreal last season, with 3-0 and 1-0 wins. Robert Lewandowski scored twice in the first match. FCB has won seven of the previous eight meetings between the two sides. Barcelona also hasn’t lost on the road at Villarreal since 2007.
New Look Villarreal in 2023-24
Three of Villarreal’s best players departed the club this Summer. Their leading scorer from the last campaign, Nicolas Jackson, left for Chelsea. Meanwhile, center-back Pau Torres and winger Samuel Chukwueze have also left for greener pastures. Villarreal have replaced Jackson with Alexander Sorloth, who spent last season on loan at Real Sociedad from RB Leipzig.
Sorloth scored 12 goals last season, but he’s yet to open his account for Villarreal in two matches. Villarreal added to a tall and physical front line by bringing in left winger Ben Brereton Diaz on a free transfer. Santi Comesana and Denis Suarez are new additions to the midfield, while Villarreal also brought in center-back Matteo Gabbia on loan from AC Milan.
Villarreal fell 2-1 in their La Liga opener to Real Betis on a late goal. They responded with a win on the road at Mallorca as Gerard Moreno scored the game’s only goal. Now, the Villarreal vs Barcelona odds price hosts Villarreal as underdogs for La Liga Matchday 3.
Xavi and Raphinha Suspended for Barcelona
Barcelona opened up the 2023-24 season on the road at Getafe. In an incredibly physical match, Raphinha got a red card as well as manager Xavi. Raphinha and Xavi are both out suspended for this match but will be back next weekend. Xavi was sent off for multiple complaints about the officiating in the scoreless draw. Without Xavi on the sidelines, Barcelona managed to pull off a 2-0 win over Cadiz in their next match.
Playing at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona instead of Camp Nou, Barcelona left things until late. Pedri finished off an incisive pass from Ilkay Gundogan in the 82nd minute. Before the final whistle, substitute forward Ferran Torres added an insurance goal for Barça. Through two matches, Barcelona haven’t conceded a goal, and they also had the best defense in the league last season.
The defending champions haven’t spent much money this offseason, but they’ll likely be near the top of the La Liga standings once again. Youngster Lamine Yamal has been promoted through the ranks, and he’s played well. Other young players like Alex Balde, Pedri, Gavi, and Abde Ezzalzouli figure to play big roles this season.
Match Analysis & Odds
Villarreal have struggled heavily vs. Barcelona recently and have won just one of the last 30 meetings. While there’s usually a massive gap in quality between the two teams, Villarreal does have what it takes to stay competitive in this match. The Villarreal vs Barcelona odds list the hosts as 0.5-goal underdogs, and Villarreal +0.5 comes in at -125 odds.
Even though they’ve won seven of the last eight meetings, Barcelona has less than a 50 percent implied chance of victory. Barcelona shows +105 ATS and moneyline odds for this one. Ronald Araujo and Inigo Martinez are out for Barcelona in defense, but FCB are incredibly hard to break down regardless.
A single goal could potentially decide this match, and betting the under isn’t the worst idea. Under 2.5, 3 goals sit at even odds, and the last three head-to-head matchups have averaged two goals. Villarreal are +265 home underdogs and have already lost their home opener. Draws have been rare in this fixture as of late, but a draw is priced at +275 here.
For La Liga betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
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