La Liga Preview: Barcelona’s Historic Homecoming As Villarreal’s Charge Continues‎

‎Matchday 13 of La Liga arrives with drama on every front, from Barcelona’s long-awaited return to their iconic stadium to Elche’s hopes of an upset against Real Madrid, and Mallorca’s challenge at the Estadio de la Cerámica.

‎The weekend promises compelling action across Spain.

‎Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao

‎The wait is over. For the first time in 909 days, Barcelona will walk out at a refurbished Camp Nou, marking a symbolic homecoming after spending two full seasons at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys during the club’s massive €1.5bn renovation project.

‎The return comes with a caveat: only 45,000 seats will be available due to the ongoing works, but the emotional weight of the night will be immense for the club, the players, and supporters who have longed for this moment.

‎Barcelona’s Form and Flick’s Challenge

‎Hansi Flick’s side sits second in the table heading into the weekend with 28 points, three behind Real Madrid.

‎The numbers reflect both promise and imbalance: they have scored 32 goals, the most in La Liga, but have conceded 15, a major concern for Flick. They have not kept a clean sheet in 10 straight matches.

‎Despite injury-hit periods for players like Raphinha and several forwards, Barcelona remains one of the league’s most explosive attacking sides.

‎Their recent 4–2 win over Celta Vigo exemplified their unpredictability thrilling going forward, vulnerable at the back.

‎Athletic Bilbao

‎Athletic Club arrived in seventh place with 17 points, ending a three-match losing streak last weekend with a 1–0 win over Real Oviedo.

‎Their form has been mixed: they scored 6 goals in their last five matches and have just one clean sheet in that stretch. There are also safety restrictions that no away supporters will be allowed at Camp Nou.

‎With an eight-point gap to the top four, Ernesto Valverde’s side knows the margin for error is shrinking.

‎Team News

‎Barcelona

‎Ter Stegen (back) and Pedri (hamstring) remain out. Raphinha is available for late minutes. Joan García returns to the goal. Christensen is fit; De Jong is suspended.

‎Eric Garcia is set to play with a protective mask. Lewandowski and Dani Olmo are fully available.

‎Athletic Bilbao

‎Inaki Williams and Unai Núñez are still out. Benat Prados (ACL) is out for the season. Oihan Sancet has a major doubt. Yeray is suspended long-term.

‎Nico Williams is fit after scoring on his return.

‎Predicted Lineups

‎Barcelona:

‎J. Garcia; E. Garcia, Araujo, Cubarsí, Balde; Casado, Olmo, López; Yamal, Lewandowski, Rashford

‎Athletic Bilbao:

‎Simón; Berchiche, Laporte, Vivian, Gorosabel; Jauregizar, Galarreta; Nico Williams, Sancet, Berenguer; Guruzeta

‎Real Madrid vs Elche: A Fixture Dominated by History

‎League leaders Real Madrid travel to Elche on Sunday looking to maintain their narrow advantage at the top. With 31 points from 12 matches, Los Blancos sit three clear of Barcelona, while Elche’s strong start places them mid-table in 11th.

‎Head-to-Head: One-Sided Rivalry

‎Real Madrid holds a dominant advantage over Elche across 53 meetings, with 35 Real Madrid wins, 6 Elche wins (all at home), and 12 draws

Elche have not beaten Real Madrid since 1978, a staggering 47-year drought. Their biggest defeat in the fixture remains the 11–2 thrashing in 1960, and Ferenc Puskás is the fixture’s top scorer with 17 goals.

Recent Meetings

Real Madrid have won 9 of the last 10 La Liga encounters with Elche, including a 4–0 victory in 2023, a 3–0 win in 2022, and a 2–2 draw at the Bernabéu in 2022, which was a rare slip for Madrid

Elche’s last home draw against Real Madrid was a 1–1 in 2020.

The Challenge Ahead

‎While Elche’s home form has been respectable, Real Madrid’s offensive depth and defensive solidity make them overwhelming favourites. Still, history shows Elche can frustrate the giants especially at the Estadio Martínez Valero.

‎Villarreal vs Mallorca

‎Villarreal’s resurgence under Marcelino has been one of the most compelling storylines of the season. Sitting third with 26 points, they remain firmly in the top-four conversation and are just five points off league leaders Real Madrid.

‎Villarreal’s Impressive Form

‎The Yellow Submarine has been outstanding, with 8 wins, 2 draws, and 2 defeats. They’ve scored 24 goals and conceded 10, which is joint-best in La Liga for defense.

‎They also have 6 clean sheets, tied with Real Madrid.

‎They’ve won four of their last five matches, and in each of those, they’ve scored at least two goals. Their 2–0 win over Espanyol showed balance, discipline, and attacking fluidity.

‎Mallorca:

‎Mallorca sits 15th with 12 points from 12 matches, struggling to produce consistent performances. They have 12 goals scored and 18 conceded. In their last six matches, they’ve kept only two clean sheets.

‎They arrive off a morale-boosting 1–0 win over Getafe. Muriqi, with 6 goals, remains their biggest threat.

‎Team News

‎Villarreal

‎Kambwala and Cabanes are out. Solomon is sidelined with a back issue. Mikautadze is doubtful. Marcelino is expected to retain the winning lineup.

‎Mallorca

‎Goalkeeper Leo Román is out. Toni Lato and Kumbulla are injured. Dani Rodríguez is absent for personal reasons. Muriqi leads the line again.

‎Predicted Lineups

‎Villarreal: J. García; Navarro, Marín, Veiga, Alfonso; Buchanan, Partey, Comesaña, Moleiro; Gerard Moreno, Oluwaseyi

‎Mallorca: Bergström; Mojica, Raíllo, Valjent, Maffeo; Costa, Mascarell; Virgili, Darder, Joseph; Muriqi