Villarreal – Barcelona: The Catalans Are Leaders Before Christmas (0-2)

The Submarines, via transitions and direct attacks, exposed Barcelona's defensive lapses, whereas the Catalans' right-side dynamics plotted the road toward the Submarines' box. After Veiga's red card, Barcelona dominated proceedings to come out victorious from a difficult outing.

Tactical analysis and match report by Achraf Lamdarhri.

Since the 3-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge, Barcelona has been on a defeatless streak. The Catalans have gone six games in a row, edging past their opponents, with Real Betis, Atlético Madrid, and Eintracht Frankfurt being the major victims of Hansi Flick's team. The German manager recovered Raphinha's services. The Brazilian met Flick's expectations in terms of the intensity, leadership, and productivity. Since his return, Raphinha has scored three goals and recorded a single assist. In the buildup to the Villarreal game, Barcelona suffered a big blow as Andrea Christensen tore his ACL in training. A situation that put the Catalans under pressure to enter the winter market to look for a defender.

Before the clash, the Submarines arrived at La Ceramica with six wins in a row, with the hope of keeping the run alive. However, Villarreal was kicked out of the Copa del Rey against Segunda side Real Racing Club de Santander. Additionally, Marcelino's team's results . . .