A pair of top-five teams from last season face off Sunday when league champions Barcelona visit Villarreal for a Spanish La Liga match at El Madrigal. Barcelona (1-1-0) kicked off defense of their first league title in four years with a 0-0 draw with Getafe. Then they struck for two goals late to down Cadiz 2-0 last Saturday. Now they will be looking to gain some momentum against a team they have dominated, as Barca won both meetings last season, taking a 3-0 victory at Camp Nou and edging Villarreal 1-0 at El Madrigal. The Yellow Submarine (1-0-1) began their campaign with a 2-1 home loss to Real Betis but rebounded with a 1-0 victory at Mallorca on Aug. 18. Barcelona are unbeaten in 27 of the past 28 meetings between these teams (21-6-1).
Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. ET at Estadio de la Ceramica in Villarreal, Spain. The latest Villarreal vs. Barcelona odds list Barca as +111 favorites (risk $100 to win $111). Villarreal are +230 underdogs, a draw is priced at +250, and the over/under for total goals scored is 2.5. Before you make any Barcelona vs. Villarreal picks or Spanish La Liga bets, you need to to see what proven SportsLine soccer insider Martin Green has to say.
After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Since last year's World Cup, Green has been profitable in multiple areas on his soccer picks, including the Champions League (+4.78 units), the FA Cup (+3.07) and the EFL Cup (+3.64), Euro 2024 qualifiers (+3.01) and Europa League (+1.60).
Now, Green has broken down the Villarreal vs. Barcelona matchup from every angle and just locked in his picks and La Liga predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Barcelona vs. Villarreal:
- Villarreal vs. Barcelona spread: Barcelona -0.5 (+105)
- Villarreal vs. Barcelona over/under: 2.5 goals
- Villarreal vs. Barcelona money line: Villarreal +230, Barcelona +111, Draw +250
- VIL: They have scored 23 goals in their past 10 home league matches
- BAR: They have scored in 20 of their past 23 league games on the road
- Villarreal vs. Barcelona picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back Barcelona
The Blaugrana have one of the world's best strikers, but last year's success was built largely around the defense. Robert Lewandowski did lead the league with 23 goals, and Barca allowed just 20 goals in 38 matches. That was 13 fewer than any other team in La Liga, and they have picked up where they left off. The consecutive clean sheets so far have featured just three shots on target for their opponents. Barcelona held the ball for 74% of both matches, and they have put 14 of their 38 shots on net. Lewandowski has two attempts on target out of seven total but has yet to score.
The Polish star will be looking to change that Sunday. He led the league in shots (134) and shots on target (56) last season. Ferran Torres could start alongside him after getting a goal against Cadiz despite playing just six minutes. Ansu Fati also provides a spark off the bench and had seven goals last season, playing in 36 matches but starting just 12. Pedri scored the other goal last week but is expected to be out with a thigh injury. Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen had an eye-popping 26 clean sheets last season, 11 more than anyone else, and had a league-best 84.7 save percentage. See which team to pick here.
Why You Should Back Villarreal
The Yellow Submarine went 12-3-4 at El Madrigal last season, conceding just 18 goals over the 19 home matches. Five of Barcelona's six league losses in 2022-23 came on the road. The Barca defense wasn't nearly as dominant away from Camp Nou, either, as 16 of the 20 goals they conceded were on the road. Gerard Moreno has been looking like he is healthy so far, which is good news for Villarreal. The 30-year-old has 16 goals over the past two seasons but played in only half the games. Moreno scored the winning goal last week against Mallorca.
Moreno should get help in attack from Alexander Sorloth and Ben Brereton Diaz. Sorloth scored 12 goals with Real Sociedad in 2022-23, and Brereton Diaz had 26 over the past two seasons with Blackburn. Villarreal held the ball for 61% of last week's match, and Mallorca had just one shot on target. They aren't likely to dominate like that this week, but they will have confidence on their turf. The Yellow Submarine finished fifth last year, and while they failed to beat Barca, they beat the other three teams ahead of them, including Atletico and Real Madrid on the road. See which team to pick here.
How to make La Liga and Villarreal vs. Barcelona picks
Green has scrutinized the Villarreal vs. Barcelona match from every angle, and he is leaning Under on the goal total. He also provides his two best bets, both plus-money plays, and has a full breakdown of the match. He's only sharing his La Liga picks and analysis at SportsLine.
So, who wins Barcelona vs. Villarreal in Sunday's Spanish la Liga matchup, and where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for Villarreal vs Barcelona, all from the European soccer expert who knows the sport inside and out, and find out.
