Today at the "Estadio de la Cerámica", as part of the 17th round of La Liga, "Barcelona" will face "Villarreal". The main news before the match was the announcement of the absence of the Catalan team's star, Pedri. Barcelona's head coach Hansi Flick confirmed that due to hamstring muscle problems, Pedri will not play in the important match.
Marca quotes the German coach: "He will not be available. I am not happy about it. He is injured. I think he will be ready for the game against 'Espanyol'. We need to take care of him and ensure treatment. We cannot take risks." After all, Pedri is one of the key players, and his participation in the upcoming matches, particularly in the Spanish Super Cup, is extremely important for the team.
"Villarreal", which is third in the championship, trailing "Barcelona" by eight points and having two games in hand, plans to claim the "winter" championship. While the Catalans confidently hold the first place, "Villarreal" hopes to take advantage of their home ground and their opponent's personnel issues.
Historically, "Barcelona" hasn't lost at "Villarreal's" ground since 2007, but this match will be a major test for both teams before the end of the calendar year. The game is scheduled to start at 17:15.
