Barcelona lie on third place in the La Liga table and are six points behind toppers Real Madrid. Hence, Barcelona cannot afford to lose when they face Villarreal at the El Madrigal in the huge encounter on Sunday.
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Barcelona have not been able to play that kind of football and dominate La Liga this season, which one had been acquainted in the past. They have drawn four games and lost two, which has held them back, but they will be keen to go full throttle in 2017 and challenge Real Madrid and second placed Sevilla too.
Luis Enrique's team is always a huge threat, and with players like Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, they are a force to be reckoned with. If the trio get their game going against the home team, it will be difficult for Villarreal defenders with Messi's trickery especially.
Though the trio will be of utmost importance, rest of the players including Sergio Basquets and Iniesta need to step up their game. Barcelona will be desperate for victory, so will be Villarreal, who is eager to move up the table.
"We are coming into this game against Villarreal knowing how good they are as a team. They are the team who have conceded the least number of goals thanks to their coach's great work over the last few years. They are an attacking team who can score goals but also hard to break down and good in defence," Barcelona's official website quoted Enrique as saying.
"We want the three points and know we will have to play very well to get them as it will be a difficult game. They are near the top of the table and they do things the right way."
Villarreal have some injury concerns, and will also miss the services of their influential skipper Bruno Soriano. Roberto Soldado and Denis Cheryshev are also not expected to feature in this all important encounter.
However, the home team will have their tails up after their back-to-back victories in the La Liga against Atletico Madrid and Sporting. It is their impressive performances at the back and at the attacking end, which has helped them pick some important wins. Despite being without them, Villarreal can provide a stiff challenge to Barcelona and make their opponents life miserable on Sunday.
Where to watch live
Barcelona vs Espanyol is set to begin at 8:45 pm local time (1:15 am IST, 7:45 pm GMT, 2:45 pm ET).
India: TV: Sony Six and Sony Six HD. Live Streaming: Sonyliv
Spain: TV:Canal+ Partidazo
UK: TV:Sky Sports 2/HD. Live Streaming:Sky Sports Go
USA: TV: Bein Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect
