Barcelona take on Villarreal on Sunday in La Liga is what is both teams’ final fixture of the year and the last before the winter break.
The Catalans come into the game on a strong run of form, having won seven in a row in La Liga and beaten Guadalajara in the Copa del Rey.
It’s a different story for Villarreal, however, as the Yellow Submarine were dumped out of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night by Racing.
Marcelino’s side needed penalties to beat Atlético Antoniano in the last round but saw their campaign come to an end as they were beaten 2-1 in Santander.
It’s an even bigger shock when you consider Villarreal are flying high in La Liga. The Yellow Submarine sit in third place in the table, eight points behind Barcelona but with two games in hand.
Should Marcelino’s side win both of those games they would leapfrog Real Madrid in the table and be Barcelona’s nearest challengers.
Yet Villarreal haven’t been entirely convincing despite their great league form. In the Champions League they have managed just a single point from six games so far and sit in 35th place in the standings.
Which Villarreal will turn up on Sunday?
