FC Barcelona (CHAMPIONS, 85pts) vs Villarreal CF (5th, 64pts)
Competition/Round: 2024-25 La Liga, Matchday 37
Barcelona Outs & Doubts: Ferran Torres, Jules Kounde, Marc Bernal (out), Ronald Araujo (doubt)
Villarreal Outs & Doubts: Ilias Akhomach (out), Raúl Albiol, Thierno Barry, Kiko Femenía (doubt)
Date/Time: Sunday, May 18, 2025, 7pm CET (Barcelona), 6pm BST/WAT (UK & Nigeria), 1pm ET, 10am PT (USA), 10.30pm IST (India)
Venue: Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Montjuïc, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Referee: José Luis Munuera Montero
VAR: Javier Alberola Rojas
How to watch on TV: ESPN Deportes (USA), Premier Sports 1 (UK), SuperSport (Nigeria), others
How to watch online: ESPN+ (USA), LaLigaTV (UK), FanCode (India), DAZN (Spain), others
Following a 2-0 win over city rivals Espanyol to clinch the 28th La Liga title in club history and a domestic treble for the 2024-25 season, Barcelona welcome Villarreal for the Blaugrana’s home finale at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium on Sunday evening.
This will be a special night for Barça, who will finish a glorious weekend which started with a bus parade through the city on Friday with a trophy ceremony following the match against the Yellow Submarine.
Hansi Flick and his troops are in a celebratory mood but still want to finish their home schedule with one last win in front of the Montjuïc crowd, but the coach has hinted he won’t take any risks with the health of his big name players and will make changes to his starting lineup to give reserves and youngsters a chance to play.
The truth is Barça have nothing to play for, and after such a demanding season it is natural to expect them to play without the same urgency shown throughout the campaign. They will enjoy themselves and will obviously play to win, but no one will be super stressed out if the Catalans don’t get a vicory in this one.
Villarreal, though, have a completely different mindset: the Yellow Submarine need three points to secure a Top 5 finish and a spot in next season’s Champions League, and coach Marcelino García Toral and his players will definitely bring a ton of urgency and intensity to the contest and hope to take advantage of a Barça team that probably won’t play at 100%.
I would usually make a big deal about the importance of starting strong and not allowing a dangerous counter-attacking team like Villarreal to find spaces in behind Barça’s high line, but the honest truth is I don’t really mind if the Blaugrana aren’t at their best in this one. All that matters to me is the post-match trophy party, and the chance to celebrate this wonderful team’s unforgettable season.
Let’s dance. Literally.
POSSIBLE LINEUPS
Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Ter Stegen; Fort, Cubarsí, Iñigo, Balde; Eric, Gavi; Víctor, Fermín, Fati; Lewandowski
Villarreal (4-4-2): Junior; Foyth, Bailly, Costa, Pedraza; Pino, Gueye, Parejo, Baena; Pépé, Ayoze
PREDICTION
Barça have had a sensational season and the only thing that matters is the trophy party after the game, so I am more than comfortable predicting a loss to a Villarreal team that needs a win to finish in the Top 5: 3-1 to the Yellow Submarine, and that’s more than OK.