La Liga Preview: Gavi in Red-hot Form as Barcelona Aim for League Winning Streak, Villarreal Show Strong Home Form

On September 23 at 00:30 am, in the 6th round of the 24/25 La Liga season, Barcelona will travel to the Ceramic Stadium to challenge “the Yellow Submarine,” Villarreal.

Due to salary cap restrictions, Barcelona’s summer transfer activities were limited, failing to bring in the popular winger Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao. However, they still managed to spend 60 million euros to acquire Spanish international Olmo from RB Leipzig. Although their squad’s paper strength may not match that of Real Madrid, under the guidance of renowned coach Flick, Barcelona has won all five of their opening league games.

Barcelona’s excellent performance can be attributed, in part, to Flick’s tactical system, which has seen the team reclaim the successful formula of the past — high pressing, aiming to keep the game in the opponent’s half, with quite effective results. Additionally, Barcelona’s current squad is relatively young, and with the rise of players like Gavi, Marc Casado, and Kuba Ściślak, the team has shed its previous lethargy and plays with vigor.

Of course, Gavi has carried his outstanding form from the European Championship into the new season, contributing three goals and four assists in the first five rounds of La Liga, almost single-handedly outperforming Real Madrid’s front three, highlighting the prowess of this 17-year-old superstar. Notably, Barcelona currently features a multi-pronged attack, with midfield and defensive players such as Pedri and Koundé also finding the back of the net, making Barcelona even more challenging to defend against.

However, Barcelona does have concerns, mainly due to an overly young squad where injury issues are gradually surfacing. Gavi and De Jong have yet to return, and young Bonet has also suffered a serious injury, while Firmino is also sidelined, leaving the team short-handed amid a congested schedule. In the midweek Champions League match, Barcelona lost 1-2 away to Ligue 1 powerhouse Monaco, making them aware of their shortcomings.

Villarreal’s form in the new season has been impressive, despite selling last season’s second-highest scorer Alexander Sørloth. They have secured 11 points from three wins and two draws in the first five rounds, scoring 11 goals and currently sitting fourth in the standings. The 31-year-old Ayoze Pérez has been in good form, delivering three goals in just two starts, satisfying fans.

Villarreal’s home form is not bad, with five wins, four draws, and one loss in their last ten La Liga home matches across seasons, including memorable draws against Real Madrid (4-4) and Atlético Madrid (2-2). However, Villarreal’s defense is generally weak, conceding nine goals in the first five rounds of the new season without keeping a clean sheet.

Barcelona’s away form is equally impressive, with seven wins, two losses, and one draw in their last ten away La Liga matches, including five consecutive away wins in recent La Liga fixtures, and they have won all three away games so far this season.

Barcelona has also been a thorn in Villarreal’s side, winning eight of their last ten encounters with an 80% win rate, though both losses came in the last five meetings, including a 3-5 defeat at home last season, which led to Xavi’s resignation.

In summary, both Barcelona and Villarreal are in good form, but the latter has more defensive issues. Moreover, Barcelona has a psychological advantage. Can they use a victory to overcome the shadow of their Champions League defeat and maintain their four-point lead over Real Madrid?

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