Barcelona came within seconds of securing the La Liga title on Wednesday evening, as second-placed Real Madrid drew with Mallorca before scoring a dramatic late winner to keep pressure on Hansi Flick's team ahead of their match against Espanyol.

Ultimately, it was a straightforward victory in the Catalan derby, with goals from Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez helping Barcelona reach 85 points, seven clear of Real Madrid, guaranteeing the title with two gameweeks left.

Hansi Flick has already claimed three trophies in his first season, including the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey, though the team's exit from the Champions League remains a significant disappointment.

Barcelona will return to a revamped Camp Nou next season, and given their talented squad, they could once again dominate Spanish football, while Real Madrid prepares for a major transfer window.

The Catalan side will conclude their campaign away to Athletic Bilbao next weekend, but the title celebrations are set to begin on Sunday, with the La Liga trophy presentation to the rightful champions.

Villarreal can be proud of their 2024-25 season, amassing 64 points from 36 matches to sit fifth in the table, five points ahead of sixth-placed Real Betis in the battle for Champions League qualification next season.

Marcelino's squad arrives on a four-game winning streak, having defeated Espanyol, Osasuna, Girona, and Leganes, with their final league match at home against Sevilla next weekend.

Villarreal has been entertaining this season, scoring 64 goals for the third-best attack in the league, though they have conceded 47, the highest among the top six teams.

The Yellow Submarine pulled off a stunning 5-3 win over Barcelona in last season's corresponding fixture, but they fell 5-1 in their earlier meeting this term.

Villarreal's last three league wins against Barcelona have come away from home, and they boast the second-best away record in La Liga this season, with 33 points from 18 matches, making them a tough challenge for Barcelona this weekend.

Barcelona will have Inigo Martinez back after his suspension against Espanyol, but Ronald Araujo is questionable due to a muscular injury that forced him off mid-game.

Jules Kounde, Ferran Torres, and Marc Bernal remain unavailable, but Flick is expected to rotate, with Alejandro Balde, Pau Cubarsi, and Fermin Lopez likely to start.

Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski have shone for Barcelona in attack this season and are set to feature again as the team aims for 100 league goals.

For Villarreal, Kiko Femenia, Raul Albiol, Thierno Barry, and Ilias Akhomach are out due to injuries, but the visitors are otherwise in good form.

Ayoze Perez notched two goals against Leganes recently, bringing his tally to 18 for the season, and he will lead the attack on Sunday.

Villarreal might make just one change from their last lineup, potentially bringing in Willy Kambwala for Pau Navarro, which could see Juan Foyth shift to right-back.

Barcelona possible starting lineup:

Szczesny; E Garcia, Cubarsi, I Martinez, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; Lewandowski

Villarreal possible starting lineup:

Luiz Junior; Foyth, Kambwala, Costa, Pedraza; Gueye, Parejo; Pepe, Baena, Pino; Perez