Villarreal manager hails Barcelona wonderkid – ‘Has the maturity of a 30-year-old’ | OneFootball

FC 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.

Speaking 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 tie

With 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.”

“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. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)

“All teams go through rough patches. Now, against Barça, we have a very difficult match, in which we want to compete in the best way possible,” he said when asked about the disappointing exits in cup matches this season.

“Barça are the top scorers in the competition and are very tough to beat. We have to compete and find our best form,” he added.

Marcelino heaped praise on Barcelona due to their style of play and mentality while also hailing Lamine Yamal.

“Lamine Yamal has the maturity of a 30-year-old,” said Marcelino, before going on to praise Barcelona’s system as well.

“They are a team with a very defined style, with a lot of passing,” he concluded.

With Villarreal set to be without as many as eight players for the game, Marcelino acknowledged that the situation is far from ideal.

“Between two players who are at the Africa Cup of Nations (Ilias Akomach and Senegalese Pape Gueye) and the injured players, we’re quite short-handed. The good thing is that this physical and mental fatigue eventually sets in,” he said.

Source: Mundo Deportivo