Three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Villarreal

After a gutting 3-1 loss to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, Barcelona return to La Liga action tonight as they take on Villarreal. Xavi’s side have only dropped four points so far in the league and sit in second place, three points behind their arch-rivals.

Their opponents on the night currently sit in the seventh position with 15 points. Villarreal’s only defeats in La Liga this season have come against Real Betis and Real Sociedad, and it is safe to say that they will not make things easy for Xavi’s side at Spotify Camp Nou.

Barcelona have conceded in their last three head-to-head encounters against Villarreal and even lost their most recent game when the two teams met at Camp Nou at the end of last season. Needless to say, Xavi will be under pressure to deliver a big result on the night and show the world that he has the situation under control.

1. A season-defining clash

If there is one difference between the current Barcelona and Real Madrid teams, it is the psychological aspect of their games. While both teams boast of a similar calibre in terms of personnel, the latter have proven themselves time and time again as the mentality champions of world football.

Meanwhile, Barcelona do not have the best history in the mental game. The Azulgranas have often been soft targets coming off a loss and the question ahead of tomorrow’s game is – how will they handle the situation this time around?

The last two games have been devastating for the Catalans. The match against Inter Milan saw them pretty much get eliminated from the UEFA Champions League in the group stage for the second successive year. In their very next game, they came second best to Real Madrid in El Clasico just days later.

Now, the team is second in the La Liga standings and are under severe pressure. They have a difficult fixture against Villarreal and will have to go work hard to get all three points. Given the poor run of form the Blaugranas have been in, it will be no mean feat.

Sunday’s result could have implications for Barcelona’s next few weeks, for a loss would be devastating to their confidence. The stakes are high.

2. The Starboy

For the second time in as many years, the winner of the prestigious Koppa trophy is a Barcelona player. After Pedri walked away with the award last time around, it was his compatriot Gavi who was handed the trophy on Monday.

The teenager started El Clasico on the bench but delivered a strong performance after coming on. After being crowned the best young talent in world football, Gavi is in line to start tonight.

His tenacity and resilience will be key assets in the manager’s plan against Villarreal. Gavi will likely be deployed alongside Frenkie de Jong and Pedri in the middle of the park and will look to show the world why he is deserving of the special title.

Yet, his job on Thursday will be far from easy as he goes head-to-head with the likes of Dani Parejo in the middle of the park. Can Gavi become the centre-piece of Barcelona’s revival? Only time will tell.

3. Can the lion roar again?

Robert Lewandowski got off to a fabulous start to the new season at his new club. He seemed set in just nine league appearances, having already scored nine goals and provided three assists.

However, his performances in recent weeks have placed his reputation at stake. The Pole was almost invisible in Barcelona’s visit to San Siro and posed no threat in front of the goal.

A week later, he scored two goals against Inter Milan but his contributions came a tad bit too late. Lewandowski contributed close to nothing for the first 80 minutes, and a late flurry could not seal three points for the Catalans. Most recently, he once again struggled to make a difference in El Clasico and the focus lights are now on him.

If Barcelona are to return to their winning streak, the Polish international will be key. The Blaugranas depend on Lewy as their primary source of goals and his stepping up is now the need of the hour.

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