PREVIEW: FC Barcelona v Villarreal

Barça host Villarreal this Thursday (kick off 9pm CEST) in the Spotify Camp Nou in another LaLiga match, with a view to putting the defeat in the Clásico in the Bernabéu stadium behind them. The Catalans will be up against a team that always ensures they are at their best. We need look no further than last season's game at the Spotify Camp Nou for evidence of that, which saw the all-yellows win 2-0.

Villarreal have 15 points from nine games and arrive at the Spotify Camp Nou as unbeaten leaders of their Conference League group. The team is known for its defensive solidity and clean sheets. Villarreal have only let in three goals so far and comfortably lead that stat in the LaLiga so far.

Samuel Chukwueze represents one of the biggest dangers to the Catalans. The Nigerian forward has scored more goals against Barça than any other team with three goals in eight games. But the same can be said for Ansu Fati and Villarreal, as he has scored a personal high of three goals against them too.

How things stand

Following defeat in the Clásico, Barça dropped from first to second, and the 3-point gap on Real Madrid has temporarily been extended to six after the leaders won 3-0 in Elche on Wednesday night, a game in which Madrid also had an extraordinary three goals disallowed for offside.

Real Sociedad, at least for now, have moved up to the same 22 points as Barça following a 1-0 defeat of struggling Mallorca in another game played last night.

Team news

After Jules Kounde was able to return from injury for El Clásico, there was further good news for Xavi this week as Hector Bellerin was declared fully fit as well. Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo are still unavailable, but the return of the right-back is one less defensive concern for the Barça coach. Striker Memphis is also side-lined.

Xavi says

"We'll need to play well against Villarreal, they're a well-worked team, as all Unai Emery teams are. But we need a good game to get the right mood back. It's time. But we need to be more aggressive, to fight to win balls back. Tactical fouls when we have to. There is a lot of room for improvement."

"I will be making changes. But we always make two or three changes for every game."

"It's not a mental issue. We could have easily drawn 2-2 in Madrid. We had the chance. We were in the game until the end against the Liga and European champions, who defend very well as a unit and don't give you many chances. It isn't a mental thing."

"Sergio Busquets' contract ends this year and that's a fact. We'll have to see how he is performing at the end of the season, but he doesn't have a natural successor in his role. We had Pjanic and Nico, but they decided to leave."

"I said we'd win titles this season because that's how I felt. I was being honest. We made some very good signings. We have not had a good week, and my phone feels like one of my family has But I still think we have the team to win titles. The things is, we have had a lot of injuries to cope with this last few weeks. But I still think we have the team to win titles. And if we don't, well another coach can come along and try instead."

Did you know?

Barça had not lost for 25 consecutive games (plus two in the cup) against Villarreal prior to the defeat last season.

Alexia Putellas, winner of the Ballon d'Or for the second time on Monday, will be parading her trophy before kick-off. She'll be joined by Kapa Trophy winner Gavi and Ger Müller Trophy winner Robert Lewandowski.

Villarreal have not scored in any of their last four away trips, although those have included two 0-0 draws. Their games this season have been extremely low scoring. They may have only conceded three goals in nine games, but they have only scored nine goals of their own.

Look out for the corner flags too! The special design being used today was chosen by Barça fan token holders (called $BAR) voting in an exclusive survey in the app Socios.com.