BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Villarreal spent much of the first half of La Liga quietly launching a potential dark horse title race.
Now, the Yellow Submarine has the chance to make it official when it hosts Barcelona on Sunday.
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Marcelino Garcia Toral’s side are third, eight points behind leaders Barcelona and four behind second-placed Real Madrid. But it has played two fewer games than the strong teams, so it is easily in a stronger position.
Villarreal have struggled in the Champions League and were knocked out of the Copa del Rey this week by a lower-tier side. But La Liga is different. Villarreal has won six games in a row, with its only two defeats coming against Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
This game will be against Villarreal, the top defensive team in the league, and they will face Villarreal, the top offensive team in the league, and the team has conceded 13 goals. Barcelona has scored 49 goals, outscoring its opponents and making up for a sometimes shaky defense.
key match
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Barcelona will eliminate the idea of challenging Villarreal this weekend and end 2025 on a high note.
An eighth consecutive win in the league for Lamine Yamal and Co. will also put pressure on struggling Madrid.
Madrid host Sevilla on Saturday, with coach Xabi Alonso in need of a convincing win before they have a two-week winter break to think about the team’s future.
Madrid needed a last-minute save from goalkeeper Andre Lunin to avoid potential embarrassment against a third-tier club in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday. Previously, they defeated Alaves in an away game in the Spanish League and lost to Manchester City and Celta Vigo in the Champions League at home.
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Fourth-placed Atletico Madrid travel to Girona on Sunday, while fifth-placed Espanyol make it a surprising fourth straight win against Athletic Bilbao on Monday.
Players to watch
Villarreal’s success is built on the team effort of multiple goal scorers and playmakers. But left winger Alberto Morello stood out. He made a breakthrough in his first season with the team and led Villarreal with six league goals. Tajon Buchanan scored five goals and midfielder Santi Comesaña helped anchor a solid midfield.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has so far managed to create a left-sided centre-back in Gerard Martin, who has struggled to fill the left-back void following Alejandro Balde’s injury at the end of last season.
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Martin has made five consecutive starts in midfield at the back as Flick attempts to find a replacement for Inigo Martinez, who left for Saudi Arabia last summer. Martin may be tested by Villarreal’s attack.
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Villarreal will be without injured veteran forward Gerard Moreno and defensive midfielder Pep Gueye, who is participating in the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal.
Even after Antonio Rudiger and Dean Huyson returned to fitness, Madrid’s defense remained weakened. Ed Militao, David Alaba, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy are all injured. Alvaro Carreras is serving a suspension.
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
