Ze Castro & Ivan Rakitic
Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic suffered a calf muscle tear against BATE Borisov in the Champions League Getty

Barcelona will be out to extend their three-match winning run in La Liga against Villarreal at the Nou Camp on 8 November.

Where to watch live

Kick-off is set for 3pm GMT. The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports 3 HD.

Overview

Barcelona shrugged off the early loss of Ivan Rakitic to a calf injury to sweep aside BATE Borisov 3-0 in the Champions League in midweek. The Catalan giants are on a six-match unbeaten run in all competitions and have a 100% record at home in La Liga this season.

Rakitic will definitely miss the visit of Villarreal and is a doubt for the El Clasico showdown against Real Madrid later this month. Defender Douglas (foot) and Lionel Messi (knee) also remain sidelined while Javier Mascherano is suspended.

Villarreal are on a four-match unbeaten run in all competitions and came from behind to beat Dinamo Minsk in the Europa League on 5 November. History is against the visiting side, however, as they have lost their last six encounters against Barcelona across all competitions.

Defender Eric Bailly is suspended and will miss the trip to Catalonia, while Adrian Lopez, Mateo Musacchio, Sergio Asenjo and Leo Baptistao are all injured.

What managers say

Luis Enrique: "Rakitic's injury disrupts our plans because of his quality and because it's going to be a tough game against Villarreal. We obviously miss Messi a great deal, but I've always said that the team have a lot of resources."

Marcelino: "It became clear that winning in Europe is difficult and it was especially hard for us [against Dinamo Minsk] because weren't able to take our chance. In addition, the pitch didn't help our cause in playing quickly and accurately. Now, our objective is to take leadership of the group."

Form guide

  • Barcelona (all competitions): WWDWW
  • Last result: Barcelona 3-0 BATE Borisov (Champions League)
  • Villarreal (all competitions): WWDWL
  • Last result: Dinamo Minsk 1-2 Villarreal (Europa League)

Betting odds (888sport)

  • Barcelona win: 6/19
  • Draw: 9/2
  • Villarreal win: 9

Team news

Barcelona possible XI: Bravo, Alves, Pique, Mathieu, Alba; Roberto, Busquets, Iniesta; Munir, Suarez, Neymar

Villarreal possible XI: Areola; Gaspar, Bonera, Ruiz, Costa; Dos Santos, Trigueros, Bruno, Suarez; Soldado, Bakambu

Barcelona FC