Story byVillarreal manager hails Barcelona wonderkid – ‘Has the maturity of a 30-year-old’Barca UniversalFri, December 19, 2025 at 2:54 PM UTC·2 min readFC Barcelona will aim to retain their lead at the top of the league table as they take on Villarreal on Sunday, in what will be the final match of the year for the Blaugrana. This is a must-win game for Barcelona, considering that a defeat will not only help Real Madrid but will also allow Villarreal, who are in third place, to close the gap at the top. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSpeaking ahead of this crucial match, Villarreal coach Marcelino talked about his team’s form while offering an update on injuries. What Marcelino said ahead of Barcelona tieWith 35 points collected from 15 matches, Villarreal are punching above their weight this season, and if they can win their two extra matches at hand, they could catapult Real Madrid and become second. But while coach Marcelino is proud of the team’s success this season, he admitted that competing with teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid will be difficult. The coach said that a club like Villarreal can “be close” to Real Madrid or Barcelona, but clarified that it’s “difficult to challenge them for the league title.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Hopefully, we can stay there as long as possible. That’s our intention. We’re now approaching Christmas, almost halfway through the season, and I’m proud of the team,” he said. Although Barcelona will be a daunting opposition, Marcelino made sure to remind everyone that Villarreal are coming on the back of six successive wins. Villarreal face Barcelona in La Liga on Sunday.
