Three well-known names who wore the colours of Barcelona and Villarreal | OneFootball

Estadio de la Ceramica sets the stage for one of the most eye-catching fixtures of the La Liga weekend, with table-toppers Barcelona travelling to face a confident and in-form Villarreal side. 

On paper, it is a meeting between first and third, but in reality, it feels far more balanced than the table might suggest.

Barcelona head into this clash as leaders of La Liga and once again look like the most complete team in Spain. 

Villarreal, though, have quietly built something impressive of their own. Sitting third, eight points off the top with two games still in hand, the Yellow Submarine have turned their home ground into a fortress and are riding a wave of confidence.

Form only adds fuel to the fire. Villarreal arrive on the back of six straight league wins, while Barcelona have gone one better with seven consecutive La Liga victories. 

Beyond the present battle for points, this fixture also carries a layer of shared history. 

Over the years, Barcelona and Villarreal have exchanged players who left their mark at both clubs. 

As the two sides prepare to meet again, it is worth revisiting three well-known names who wore both shirts.

Giovani dos Santos

Giovani Dos Santos played for both clubs. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images)

Few careers reflect early promise and unexpected turns like Giovani dos Santos. He arrived at Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy at just 13 and quickly became one of the most exciting prospects in the system. 

His first-team debut came in 2007 during a home win against Athletic Bilbao, when he replaced Thierry Henry late in the game.

Dos Santos truly announced himself in May 2008 with a memorable hat-trick against Real Murcia, a performance that closed the season in style and hinted at a bright future. 

That match also marked his farewell, as he soon left for Tottenham Hotspur. After several loan spells, his career found some stability at Villarreal, where he spent two seasons from 2013. 

During that time, he scored 17 goals in 73 appearances and became a useful attacking option in La Liga once again.

Paco Alcacer

Paco Alcacer could not break into the starting XI. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Paco Alcacer arrived at Barcelona in 2016 amid high expectations. 

Signed for €30 million on a five-year deal, he came fresh from an impressive spell at Valencia and was seen as a forward ready to take the next step. 

However, competition in Barcelona’s attack proved fierce, and regular starts were hard to come by.

Despite flashes of quality, Alcacer never truly secured a permanent place in the starting XI. That reality led to his departure to Borussia Dortmund in 2018. 

In January 2020, he returned to Spain with Villarreal, where he looked far more settled. 

His time there helped him rebuild confidence before he eventually moved to the UAE Pro League three years later.

Juan Roman Riquelme

Riquelme only spent one season at Barcelona. (Photo by Sandra Behne/Bongarts/Getty Images)

The most iconic name on this list is undoubtedly Juan Roman Riquelme. After seven outstanding seasons with Boca Juniors, the Argentine playmaker joined Barcelona in 2002 for a reported €11 million. 

Expectations were enormous, but his time in Catalonia was marked by tension and contrasting football ideas under the then-manager Louis van Gaal.

Even in a challenging environment, Riquelme featured regularly, making 42 appearances and scoring six goals in his only season at the club. 

Two years later, his career took a decisive turn when he joined Villarreal on loan. 

The move proved perfect. He made it permanent two years later and went on to enjoy four highly successful seasons, becoming the face of Villarreal’s rise before eventually returning to Boca Juniors.