FC Barcelona vs Villarreal: Confirmed Lineups - Stellar XI for the Champion!

OFFICIAL: The starting lineups for Hansi Flick's FC Barcelona and Marcelino García's Villarreal for matchday 37 of LaLiga EA Sports 2024/25 have been confirmed. Both teams are making several adjustments to their lineups, with the 'culés' looking to bid farewell to Montjuïc with another victory to continue the championship celebrations.

⚽Starting Lineup for FC Barcelona against Villarreal

Hansi Flick is making five changes compared to the XI against Espanyol in the Catalan Liga derby. Ter Stegen returns to the goal in place of Szczesny, while Pau Cubarsí will take the place of the injured Ronald Araujo, partnering with Iñigo Martínez in the backline.

Eric García remains on the right flank due to Jules Koundé's absence, while Gerard Martín also continues as the left-back, replacing Alejandro Balde. In midfield, Fermín López returns in place of Dani Olmo.

Similarly, Gavi will occupy the pivot position, partnering with Pedri, while Lamine Yamal and Raphinha complete the offensive trident alongside Robert Lewandowski. Thus, Flick opts for a more regular defense, with Cubarsí and Iñigo partnering with Eric and Balde.

Barça's starting XI (OFFICIAL):

• Tactical note: Eric García is the right-back. Cubarsí and Iñigo form the center-back pairing, and Gerard Martín is the left-back. Raphinha is the left winger and Lewandowski, the center forward, with Lamine on the right. However, many rotations are expected in attack, thanks to the mobility of Fermín López.

1. (#01, GK) Ter Stegen
2. (#24) Eric García
3. (#02) Pau Cubarsí
4. (#05) Iñigo Martínez
5. (#35) Gerard Martín
6. (#06) Gavi
7. (#08) Pedri
8. (#16) Fermín López
9. (#19) Lamine Yamal
10. (#11) Raphinha
11. (#09) Robert Lewandowski

Barça's bench (substitute players):

1. (#13, GK) Iñaki Peña
2. (#25, GK) Szczesny
3. (#03) Alejandro Balde
4. (#10) Ansu Fati
5. (#14) Pablo Torre
6. (#15) Andreas Christensen
7. (#17) Marc Casadó
8. (#18) Pau Víctor
9. (#20) Dani Olmo
10. (#21) Frenkie de Jong
11. (#32) Héctor Fort
12. (#36) Sergi Domínguez

Barça's injured players:

1. (#04) Ronald Araujo
2. (#07) Ferran Torres
3. (#23) Jules Koundé
4. (#28) Marc Bernal

📝How do Hansi Flick's changes affect Barcelona's scheme?

Hansi Flick is rotating again, with important adjustments in his defense and midfield. We analyze them:

Barça fields an XI with a majority of regular starters, looking to close the season with another victory at home. Ter Stegen is the goalkeeper, with Cubarsí and Iñigo will be leaders of the backline, with Eric García and Gerard Martín on the flanks. Gavi and Pedri direct the midfield, while Fermín López will be the attacking midfielder, behind the trident formed by Lamine, Raphinha, and Lewandowski.

Goalkeeping and defense:

• A regular defense: Eric García returns as the right-back due to Jules Koundé's absence. Pau Cubarsí will partner with Iñigo Martínez in the center of the defense. Gerard Martín is the left-back, with Alejandro Balde on the bench.

Midfield:

• Gavi returns as the pivot alongside Pedri and Frenkie de Jong will be on the bench. Flick also returns Fermín López to the XI as an attacking midfielder. The player from Huelva scored the second goal in the victory against Espanyol.

Attack:

• In the offensive trident, Robert Lewandowski will start alongside Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. The Pole needs to score again to regain ground in the fight for the 'Pichichi' with Kylian Mbappé.

• The '9' will once again be the area reference and seeks to score again in Liga, something he did for the last time on matchday 29 against Girona (4-1). The experienced striker was out injured for four official Barça matches.
• Raphinha, again, will be the left winger, with Lamine on the right and Lewandowski as the '9'. In midfield, Pedri and Fermín will be the creative players of the team, giving mobility and clarity to the 'azulgrana' game.

🥅Starting Lineup for Villarreal against FC Barcelona

1. (#01, GK) Luiz Júnior
2. (#26) Pau Navarro
3. (#08) Juan Foyth
4. (#02) Logan Costa
5. (#23) Sergi Cardona
6. (#10) Dani Parejo
7. (#14) Santi Comesaña
8. (#16) Álex Baena
9. (#19) Nicolás Pepé
10. (#21) Yéremy Pino
11. (#22) Ayoze Pérez

• Villarreal's bench: Conde (GK), Gómez (GK), Kambwala, Bailly, Pedraza, Suárez, Gueye, Buchanan, Barry, Femenía, Eyong, Moreno.

Villarreal, for their part, arrive at the match against Barcelona with all their starters available. Marcelino García's team has won four in a row against Espanyol, Girona, Osasuna, and Leganés, placing them fifth in the table with 64 points. With one more victory, the 'amarillos' will return to the Champions League for the first time since 2021/22, when they reached the semi-finals.

The 'Yellow Submarine' will try to storm Montjuïc for the second consecutive season with Navarro and Cardona as full-backs, while Foyth and Costa remain as center-backs. In midfield will be Parejo, Comesaña, and Baena, with a very ambitious offensive trident formed by Pepé, Yéremy Pino, and Ayoze Pérez.

🚑'CULÉ' ABSENCES! How do they affect Barça against Villarreal?

The injuries of Ronald Araujo, Jules Koundé, Ferran Torres, and Marc Bernal are a significant setback for FC Barcelona in the final stretch of the season, along with the absence of Iñigo Martínez due to suspension (accumulation of cards).

Below, we detail the individual impact of each absence due to injury on the team.

Jules Koundé (starting right-back)

• Impact: after playing 86 consecutive matches with the club during the last 12 months, Koundé finally rested on matchday 33 against Mallorca. The Frenchman was the MVP of the Copa final, scoring the winning goal, but was injured in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Inter Milan last Wednesday. The '23' has 4 goals and 8 assists in 53 matches with Flick's team.
• Consequences: in principle, Barça has not determined the length of Jules' absence, who suffers from a distal injury to the biceps femoris of the left thigh. Flick only has Héctor Fort as a substitute right-back and, in the Champions League, he opted for Eric García as an emergency solution. Ronald Araujo could also be a 'patch' to deal with his absence.

Marc Bernal (Midfielder, central midfielder)

• Impact: Bernal, one of the revelations from the youth academy, suffered a serious knee injury (rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament) and is out for the season.

• Consequences: His absence deprives the team of a physical and tactical profile that had provided balance and energy in midfield. Bernal was a valuable alternative for matches of high physical demand and his absence forces Flick to rely more on experienced players or to advance the progression of other young players.

Ferran Torres (center forward/ winger)

• Impact: Ferran Torres, the team's '9' during Robert Lewanodwski's absence due to injury, may have said goodbye to the season after undergoing surgery on Wednesday, due to appendicitis.
• Consequences: the 'Shark' was very important in the 'azulgrana' attack during 'Lewy's' absence, scoring one of the goals in the Copa final against Real Madrid and in the first leg of the Champions League 'semi' against Inter. In addition, he had broken a record in the last Liga Clásico, with three assists in the first half.

Ronald Araujo (central defender)

• Impact: the Uruguayan started on Wednesday against Espanyol, partnering with Andreas Christensen in the center of the backline. However, he had to leave in the 51st minute due to discomfort in his right knee and could not train on Saturday.
• Consequences: Araujo has not managed to recover his best form after spending almost the entire first half of 24/25 injured. The final stretch of the season has seen appearances in important Liga and Champions League matches, leaving some doubts about his performance. Without him, Flick loses a fixed replacement for the defense.

In summary, the absences of Araujo, Ferran, Koundé, and Bernal are a minor setback for Flick against Villarreal. The defensive solidity, the creativity in midfield, and the depth to make rotations in the second half are affected, but the team trusts in the quality of its squad to add the three points at home, with the majority of starters available.

• 📌 Follow the match of matchday 37 of LaLiga FC Barcelona vs Villarreal live on FCBN and find out everything. Don't miss anything!