Barcelona against he Yellow Submarine for the winter title

Barcelona bring the curtain down on their 2025 calendar this afternoon with a demanding trip to Villarreal, knowing that another three points would all but secure the winter title before the first half of the season officially ends with the Cornella derby in early January. After Real Madrid’s 2–0 victory over Sevilla, the Blaugrana’s mission is clear: protect their four-point cushion at the top.

Hansi Flick’s side arrive in strong form, having put together six consecutive wins in all competitions since their setback at Stamford Bridge. However, this visit to the Estadio de la Ceramica is far from routine. Villarreal remain firmly in the race for top spot at the halfway stage. With two matches still to be rescheduled, the Yellow Submarine sit on 35 points—eight behind Barca—but a perfect run in their games in hand, combined with a victory today, could propel them to the summit.

That said, Villarreal’s recent momentum has been shaken. Elimination from the Copa del Rey at the hands of Racing Santander, coupled with fading hopes of Champions League qualification, raises questions about their current state heading into the clash.

Barcelona, meanwhile, must cope with a notable late setback. Pedri, who featured briefly in the Copa del Rey tie against Guadalajara, has been ruled out due to hamstring discomfort and did not travel with the squad.

Flick has opted for caution, prioritizing the midfielder’s availability for the derby against Espanyol to open 2026. In better news for the visitors, Frenkie de Jong is set to return to the starting lineup in La Liga after featuring in the cup. The Dutchman had missed the previous five league matches through a mix of suspension, illness, and tactical rotation. Robert Lewandowski is also back after being rested in midweek.

On the home bench, Marcelino Garcia Toral faces a familiar challenge. Across nine home matches against Barcelona with five different clubs, he has yet to record a victory, settling instead for five draws and four defeats.

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The Asturian coach will also have limited options this time around. Villarreal are missing a host of players, including long-term absentees Logan Costa, Willy Kambala, and Pau Cabanes, as well as Mourino, Thomas Partey, Juan Foyth, Alfonso Pedraza Cardona, and Gerard Moreno, who ultimately failed to recover in time. Adding to the disruption, Ilias Akhomach and Pape Gueye are both away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.

LA LIGA - MATCHDAY 17

Friday

Valencia - Mallorca 1-1 (0-1)

/Duro 52 - Costa 23/

Saturday

Oviedo - Celta 0-0

Levante - Real Sociedad 1-1 (0-1)

/De la Fuente 90+4 - Kubo 45+1/

Osasuna - Alaves 3-0 (0-0)

/Budimir 72, 81 pen, De Haro 90+3/

Real Madrid - Sevilla 2-0 (1-0)

/Bellingham 38, Mbappe 86 pen/

Sunday

16.00: (5.00) Girona (4.15) Atl.Madrid (1.70)

18.15: (3.45) Villareal (4.40) Barcelona (1.88)

20.30: (2.50) Elche (3.10) Rayo Vallecano (3.30)

23.00: (1.73) Betis (3.50) Getafe (5.30)

Monday

23.00: (1.80) Ath.Bilbao (3.60) Espanyol (5.10)

***odds are subject to change***