Will the ‘Yellow Submarine’ crash Barca’s party?
FCB has been on an emotional rollercoaster ride in recent weeks. First, they won the Copa del Rey, but then came the painful elimination from the Champions League against Inter Milan. However, they were able to celebrate winning the LaLiga title again last Thursday.
Thanks to their recent success in the derby against Espanyol, the Catalans clinched the Spanish top-flight title and their pursuers from Madrid can no longer make up the seven-point deficit with two games remaining. However, the prediction for the clash between Barcelona and Villarreal is a draw or an away win.
Barcelona vs. Villarreal AI prediction
BETSiE has also taken a close look at the match in Barcelona and found value in the odds for the home side in its calculations. The artificial intelligence puts the probability of FCB winning at a whopping 74.7 percent, which is around 20 percentage points higher than the odds of 1.82 (54.9 percent) offered by Bet365 for a Barcelona win. In light of this, the AI prediction for the match between Barcelona and Villarreal is a win for the hosts.
Barcelona – Statistics & current form
Barcelona has earned the LaLiga title primarily thanks to its powerful offense. With 97 goals, the home team has by far the best record. By comparison, Real Madrid’s second-strongest attack has scored 23 fewer goals!
Robert Lewandowski deserves particular credit for the strong goal tally. The Pole is second in the scoring charts with 25 goals behind Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe (28), but he has been hampered by injury.
Although he is back in the squad and returned to the starting line-up in the last match against Espanyol, he still lacks competitive practice. In addition, his fellow striker Ferran Torres had to undergo emergency surgery this week due to appendicitis and is therefore unavailable.
Next goal for Yamal for Barcelona?
However, 17-year-old prodigy Lamine Yamal is in good form. The youngster scored the decisive winning goal in the last match against Espanyol with a spectacular strike and has found the net in the last two league games for FCB.
Given his strong form and the aforementioned personnel situation in Barcelona’s attack, odds on another goal from the Spaniard are also recommended for the match between Barcelona and Villarreal. You can place your bets at Betano, and the bookmaker also offers Paysafecard as a payment option for sports betting.
It is not uncommon for the home side to set the course for victory in the first half. Ten of their 14 home wins in this year’s league campaign have come with a half-time lead – the highest number in LaLiga!
Villarreal – Statistics & current form
Last season’s eighth-placed team has improved in the current LaLiga campaign. The players from the Estadio de la Cerámica are currently in fifth place, which puts them in contention for a Champions League spot.
However, qualification is not yet guaranteed, which is why coach Marcelino’s team will continue to be highly motivated. They are five points behind Betis Sevilla, and the Andalusians are now the only club that can still pose a threat to the visitors in their quest to qualify for the Champions League.
Villarreal likes to travel
Villarreal’s successful season is due in no small part to consistently strong away performances. The 2021 Europa League winners are currently second in the away table, behind Barcelona!
Their away form has improved even further recently, with Villarreal winning three of their last four away games.
In addition, Ayoze Perez is proving to be an efficient striker. The Spaniard has scored in more than half (4) of the last seven league games for the two-time Champions League semi-finalists and even scored twice in this week’s match against Leganes!
Will Perez strike again for Villarreal?
He is particularly important at the moment, as the second-best goalscorer in the “Submarino amarillo,” Frenchman Thierno Barry, is out with an injury. Given this situation, the betting odds for another goal by Perez in the match between Barcelona and Villarreal are also worth considering. Odds are offered by Bet365, and you can place your bets on the British sports betting provider’s mobile app!
Barcelona – Villarreal Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
Barcelona won the last direct encounter 5-1 at Villarreal, and away wins have been the norm in this pairing for quite some time. The away team has prevailed in each of the last four matches!
FCB recorded three wins, while Villarreal won the last away game at Barcelona 5-3. Despite these astonishing statistics, however, the odds for Barcelona against Villarreal now favor the home team.
Barcelona – Villarreal Tip
For the match between Barcelona and Villarreal, the prediction is a double chance in favor of the visitors. The home side already secured the championship this week thanks to a win in the derby against Espanyol, which means they have nothing to play for and will probably still be feeling the effects of the celebrations.
In contrast, the visitors are still chasing qualification for the Champions League and will be clearly more motivated. Furthermore, Villarreal are the second-best away team in the league and are in good form with four wins in a row.
Taking all of the above into account, Wettbasis believes that Barcelona will at least not win against Villarreal. This prediction is backed up by the statistics: Villarreal is not a welcome guest in Barcelona, as the visitors have won two of their last three away games at FCB!