Previa del FC Barcelona vs Villarreal de LaLiga

BARÇA, FORCED TO WIN

Barça wants to 'turn' the page against Villarreal in their lowest hours

Published:26/01/2024 - 20:55h

Updated:27/01/2024 - 08:14h

FC Barcelona wants to 'get even' after being eliminated from the Copa del Rey and will seek to take the first step towards a comeback in LaLiga with the visit of a 'touched' Villarreal that has flirted with the last places in the classification

The FC Barcelona has the obligation to win all what will contest in the next months in LaLiga. The situation of the blaugrana is not the most favourable and arrive 'touched' after the elimination in the Glass of Rey, in hands of an Athletic Club that did not have 'mercy' and that cost of the 'errors' and desaciertos of the Catalans to hurt, especially in the second half of the meeting and during the extention. The hit was lethal.

The ones of Xavi Hernández lost his second title of the season in less than fifteen days, explaining the defeat in the final of the Supercopa of Spain against the Real Madrid (4-1). They have fallen in the tournament of the 'KO' with a new goleada (4-2) and an image that, in spite of the green shoots with the youngest players -Pau Cubarsí, Héctor Fort or Lamine Yamal-, follows leaving more doubts that certainties.

The Barça, forced to win

For the Barça, the salvation in this season is to win one of the two titles that are still in dispute: LaLiga or Champions League. In the domestic championship, the history is very complicated for now. They find to eight points of the leadership, occupied at present by the Girona (52) and with the Real Madrid (51) like escudero. So much the picture culé like the 'merengues' have a party less, by which postponed by the Supercopa of Spain, and that will contest during the next week.

The Catalans want to begin with good foot. They will receive to the Villarreal in the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Compannys this Saturday from the 18:30 hours (6:30 PM CET) with the obligation to remain with the three points. It will be the first party of the Barça home in 2024, put did not play in conditions of venue from the victory 'in extremis' in front of the Almería to finals of 2023. Of this, has happened more than a month, but remains the feeling that the team has not found the regularity.

They come of a month of frantic January with victories in front of The Palms (1-2), Barbastro (2-3), Osasuna (2-0), Unionistas (1-3) and Betis (2-4), but also with painful defeats that have meant to sack of the possibility to win a title; as it is the case of the goleadas fit in front of Real Madrid (4-1) and Athletic Club (4-2). Of face to the month of February, with the Champions League in the horizon, the barcelonistas can not commit more errors.

The Villarreal, with a delicate actuality

This Saturday will confront to a Villarreal that is living a very poor season in which they do not find solutions, without mattering who was in the bench. They find in the fourteenth position of LaLiga, with 20 points in 21 parties, registering three tropiezos consecutive: two defeats, in front of Valencia and The Palms, and a tie against the Mallorca in the last day. In what it goes of 2024, no concen the victory neither in League neither in Glass of Rey.

In the previous, Marcelino García Toral commented that "we always have to have the maximum illusion and motivation to be able to win. Independently of the rival. Those that in theory are upper have to show that they are it. What happen in the 90 minutes will be what decant the result in favour or against", aiming besides that "know that we play against a big team, with a potential tremendo and in his field. We have to face it with decision, atrevimiento and knowing that it goes to require our maximum level. It is necessary to treat that they do not develop them".

Xavi, conscious that it plays a lot

Although it arrives in different conditions, but with the same pressure, aimed in press conference that are "happy to go back to play with our fans. They say us that there will be good entrance, need to the fans. The Villarreal the same is in low hours, but the teams of Marcelino are aggressive, very organised, have clear to what play... It is a party to react three the meeting of Bilbao. We compete well, with soul and prowess. IF we play a lot of days like the Athletic..."

On the other hand, it aimed that "I am well, calm. The same I am the only that understand the reality of the situation of the club. It is difficult like this did it to me see the leaders. We are doing a good work, the managerial board, the footballers, to social level, economic, are competing. In June will look where are and will decide".