Today in the Spanish league there will be two matches where two teams from the top five will face each other. Fourth-placed "Villarreal" will host the league leader "Barcelona" at home, while third-placed Madrid "Real" will play against fifth-placed "Sevilla" in their arena. Eurofootball.com provides you with a preview of these matches.
"Villarreal" - "Barcelona"
Current situation:
"Barcelona" leads the league with 75 points, while "Villarreal" is fourth in Spain with 53 points.
Teams' form:
"Villarreal" has lost three consecutive home matches in the league, with their last game ending in a 0-1 defeat to "Las Palmas." Meanwhile, "Barcelona" is in exemplary form, having won eleven consecutive matches in the "La Liga" league. Their unbeaten streak is twice as long - "Barca" has not lost in 22 consecutive league matches.
First encounter:
In their first match at home, "Barcelona" defeated "Villarreal" 3-0. Neymar scored two goals in that match, while Luis Suarez added one more.
Team news:
For the hosts, Samuel, Jonathan dos Santos, and Jaume Costa will not play today. Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola missed Thursday's Europa League match but is expected to be ready for Sunday's game.
For "Barcelona," Andres Iniesta was injured in the midweek match against "Arsenal" and is expected to miss today's game. Meanwhile, Rafinha, who last appeared on the field in September, has started training with the team and is expected to return to the squad soon.
Which of these matches is more important?
This match is undoubtedly more important for "Villarreal" - a victory could extend their lead over the closest rivals to eight points, while a loss in this match and unfavorable results in other matches could reduce their lead to just two points, making the battle for the last spot in the Champions League next season even more intense.
Meanwhile, even in the event of a defeat, "Barcelona" would remain in a comfortable position. Madrid's "Atletico" lost yesterday, so in any case, they will have at least an eight-point lead over their closest rivals.
"Real" - "Sevilla"
Current situation:
"Real" has collected 63 points in 29 matches and is in third place. "Sevilla" is fifth with 48 points after the same number of matches.
Teams' form:
After losing at home in the Madrid derby against "Atletico," "Real" bounced back and won three consecutive games. The Madrid team, which had a turbulent start to the season, had only managed to win four games so far.
On the other hand, "Sevilla" plays differently at home and away this season. While they have won thirteen consecutive home matches, they have failed to secure victories away from home. They are the only team in Spain that has not won a single away match this season, and a streak of fourteen consecutive winless games does not promise anything good for them in the upcoming match at the "Santiago Bernabeu" stadium.
First encounter:
In their first face-off at home, "Sevilla" beat Madrid's opponents and celebrated a victory with a score of 3-2.
Team news:
For Madrid's "Real," both center-backs who started in the last two matches will be absent due to disqualifications. Sergio Ramos received a one-game suspension for a red card in the last match, while Pepe will miss the game due to five yellow cards this season. Another player, Karim Benzema, has returned to training, but a final decision about his participation in Sunday's match has not been announced yet.
"Sevilla" does not have any new injured players, but they will be without long-time absent defenders Marco Andreolli and Nicolas Pareja, as well as goalkeeper Beto. The guests will also have a suspended player - Ever Banega, who received a red card in the last round and will not be able to help his team in this match.
Which of these matches is more important?
These matches are crucial for both teams. Madrid's "Real" can take advantage of "Atletico's" stumble and, with a victory, be just a few points behind the second place. However, if "Real" fails to secure a win, it will be really difficult to do so in the next round - they will face a trip to the "Camp Nou" stadium and the "El Clasico" match.
Sevilla's situation is even more difficult, and every point becomes crucial. They are five points behind fourth place, which offers the opportunity to play in the Champions League next season, and to compete for points in a match against "Barcelona" will also not be easy. However, if "Sevilla" loses to "Real," they could drop to seventh place.
Sunday's matches in the "La Liga" league:
13:00 "Espanyol" - "Athletic"
17:00 "Villarreal" - "Barcelona"
19:15 "Valencia" - "Celta Vigo"
21:30 "Real" - "Sevilla"
Tautvydas Sakalauskas
