Barcelona to Host Villarreal in La Liga's 26th Round Amidst Title and European Race

Barcelona will host Villarreal in a La Liga Matchday 26 fixture on February 28 at Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona. Referee Isidro Díaz de Mera will officiate the match, assisted by his technical team.

Barcelona enters the match leading the league table with 61 points, just one point ahead of their closest challenger. Villarreal sits in third place with 51 points, three points clear of the fourth-placed team, with both sides having played 25 matches.

The host team's recent form shows three wins and two losses, while the visitors have recorded three wins, one draw, and one loss over the same period. Historically, Barcelona holds a significant advantage with 24 wins compared to Villarreal's three, alongside four draws. Their last encounter in La Liga, held last December, ended in a 2-0 victory for Barcelona.

Barcelona is expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, featuring Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski. The team will be without Gerard Martín due to suspension, and injured Frenkie de Jong, who is expected to return in late March. Gavi also remains sidelined with an injury, with doubts surrounding his readiness, as well as Andreas Christensen.

On the other side, the visiting team is anticipated to adopt a 4-4-2 setup, potentially including Renato Veiga, Nicolas Pépé, and Georges Mikautadze. Villarreal will miss Juan Foyth due to an injury that could end his season, and Logan Costa, who is also injured with doubts about his availability for the match. Pau Cabanes is out until early April, and there are uncertainties surrounding the fitness of injured Gerard Moreno.

The match will be broadcast via the beIN Sports CONNECT Platform.