Match story
- Barcelona created the clearer chances on xG (1.66 vs 2.72, Δ 1.06).
- Barcelona fired more attempts (19 vs 14 shots).
- Villarreal was more accurate in front of goal (36% on target vs 26%).
- Barcelona held more of the ball (79% possession).
Barcelona defeated Villarreal 0-2 in La Liga. The fixture is part of the Regular Season - 17 stage in the 2025 season. The match was played at Estadio de la Cerámica in Villarreal. Javier Alberola Rojas, Spain officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Villarreal vs Barcelona meeting in La Liga with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Villarreal and Barcelona. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
La LigaRecorded meetings: 8 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Due to lack of first-team players, the friendly between FC Barcelona and Preston North End has been called off, in a sudden setback for head coach Hansi Flick and his preseason preparations. Hansi Flick is back at the helm for FC Barcelona‘s preseason following a recent contract extension with the Spanish giant. However, the German manager’s preparations in England hit an unexpected snag when a scheduled friendly against Preston North End was abruptly canceled due to a player shortage on the opposition’s side. During their camp in the British Isles, Barcelona planned two exhibition matches, starting with Friday’s fixture against Birmingham City and concluding with a Monday matchup against Preston North End. While the opener resulted in a 2-2 draw (followed by a 3-2 loss in a penalty shootout), Monday’s game against the Lilywhites was officially scrapped. Preston North End, originally set to face Barcelona on Monday, Aug. 3, contacted the Spanish club to disclose that they lacked enough fit first-team players to fulfill the fixture. The Championship side is slated to open its competitive campaign Saturday in the Carabao Cup against Huddersfield Town, prompting the coaching staff to protect their remaining senior squad from potential injuries. Preston proposed playing the exhibition using their U-21 roster instead. As reported by Spanish outlet Diario Sport, Barcelona rejected the alternative, opting to replace the match with a standard training session and ultimately pulling the plug on the contest. Warming up for a big day of training. 🏋️♀️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/A3NLma3Bum— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 2, 2026 The matchup at St. George’s Park was scheduled to be Barcelona’s third preseason test and their final fixture in England. Under the circumstances, Flick will accelerate the team’s return to Spain to continue preparations while awaiting the arrival of several key international stars, most notably Spain’s World Cup winners. What’s next on Barcelona’s preseason schedule? Raphinha, Karim Adeyemi, and Wojciech Szczesny headline the prominent veterans who traveled to England for the training camp rather than taking extended time off. Meanwhile, the club’s World Cup participants are expected to rejoin Flick’s squad once the team arrives back in Catalonia ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. Upon returning to Spain, Barcelona’s next test comes Friday, Aug. 8, in a triangular tournament against Udinese and Nottingham Forest. Marking the inaugural Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup in Udine, Italy, the Spanish, Italian, and English sides will face off on the same day in condensed 45-minute matches. Barcelona will then cap off its exhibition calendar with the traditional Joan Gamper Trophy on Aug. 19 at Spotify Camp Nou against Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly. With five tune-up matches instead of the six originally planned, Flick’s squad will kick off its 2026-27 La Liga campaign on Sunday, August 23, traveling to face Elche for their league opener.
Barcelona faced Birmingham City in a pre-season game that ended in a 2-2 draw, with the Catalan club losing on penalties.Hansi Flick was without most of his first-team and had to rely on youth to make...
Last night, Barcelona played their first pre-season friendly in England as they took on Birmingham with an academy star-filled team.The game eventually fizzled out to a 2-2 draw, before the Blaugrana ...
Wojciech Szczesny has opened up about the remarkable revival of his career at FC Barcelona, admitting that before joining the club he had completely lost his passion for football and believed his play...
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.