Villarreal vs Barcelona prediction 21.12.2025 | La Liga

The 2025/26 season could be one of the best for Villarreal. They are third in the standings, and although it seems unreal for them to compete with Barcelona for the La Liga title, their top-four status shouldn't be in doubt. However, it seems that Villarreal slowed down in form recently, as they lost the last two matches. In the most recent outing, Marcelino's team surprisingly lost 2-1 on the road in the Copa del Rey against Racing Santander. The guests had significantly better goal-scoring chances, but the hosts' much better efficiency was enough for victory.

Villarreal's head coach, Marcelino, was disappointed after a defeat in the cup. He said, "These things come in phases. If we are not at our best level, we have to train to recover it. In an attack, we are not sharp, and we rush things too much. We need to train so that attacking players have more precision and defensive players are more effective in our own area."

Villarreal will be without Ilias Akhomach and Pape Gueye in the next few weeks. Both players are on international duty at the African Cup of Nations. Also, Pau Cabanes, Logan Costa, Gerard Moreno, Santiago Mourino, and Thomas Partey are out for the next round due to injuries.

Barcelona have another great season. They are at the top of the La Liga with four points more than Real Madrid. Hansi Flick's team won the last six matches in a row. However, although things on the surface look well, Barcelona lacked their usual sharpness in the previous couple of matches. In the last game, they won only 2-0 on the road in the Copa del Rey against Guadalajara. Primera RFEF team was surprisingly even with La Liga leader for 75 minutes. However, the guests finally broke a stubborn opponent late in the match and recorded another victory. 

Barcelona mixed their starting lineup for the match against Guadalajara. We should expect a more regular lineup on Sunday afternoon in Villarreal. 

Barcelona have some problems with missing players too, as Ronald Araujo, Gavi, and Dani Olmo will not travel to Estadio de la Caremica.