Barcelona vs. Villarreal: Preview, TV Schedule and Live Stream Info

Barcelona enters the La Liga season fresh off victories in the UEFA Super Cup and in the Spanish Super Cup. They are the defending European Champions and the defending La Liga Champions, and are without a doubt the best club team in the world right now.

Villarreal have never won a La Liga title, but they have been a quality side in the past few years, and even advanced to the semifinals of the Champions League in 2006.

Since being promoted to La Liga in 2000, Valencia has constantly made their presence felt at the top of the standings, including a fourth place finish last season. 

Where: Camp Nou

When: Monday, August 29th, 3:00 PM Eastern Time

Watch: ESPN Deportes (USA), Sky Sports 3 (UK), GolTV (Canada, Spain)

Live Stream: ESPN3 

Biggest Storyline: Will Villarreal Defeat Barca for First Time Since 2007?

Villarreal has not knocked off Barcelona since October 20th, 2007 when they won a home game by a score of 3-1. Since then Barca has dominated the series, despite a few draws mixed in.

Barcelona is playing incredible football right now, and appear to be unbeatable at the moment. It is going to be a daunting task to knock off Barca, so Villarreal would likely be happy to come away with a point.

If there is one thing that benefits Villarreal in this match it is the injuries that Barca are suffering through. They could be without as many as five starters, giving Villarreal a legitimate shot at a favorable result. 

Player to Watch for Barcelona: Lionel Messi

Messi has been on fire and there is no doubt all eyes are on him every time he steps out onto the pitch. He recorded big goals in both the UEFA Super Cup and the Spanish Super Cup, and was just named the best player in Europe.

Look for him to put on a show in the first game of the La Liga season. 

Player to Watch for Villarreal: Giuseppe Rossi

Rossi is the most intriguing player for Villarreal, and one of the up-and-coming players in the world. At 24 years of age, Rossi is flourishing for Villarreal, and has registered 51 goals in just 127 matches.

Rossi will be called upon to carry this team to the promised land, and they will need him in rare form against Barca in this match.

Key Matchup: Rossi vs. Barca Defense

Barca are struggling through some injuries on the back line and will likely be without four starters. Gerard Pique, Dani Alves, and Carles Puyol have been ruled out for the match already, while Adriano is also expected to sit out.

Without three starting defenders, Rossi will have every opportunity he needs to come away with at least one goal in this match.

If he can take advantage of Barca's injuries, things could end up working out quite well for the star striker.

What They're Saying:

Villarreal spent the offseason shopping Rossi, but they have now pulled him off the market, which is a good sign for Villarreal fans. While rumors of Rossi being transferred continue, it appears that he will be staying put according to Rossi's agent who spoke with Sky Sports,

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"Giuseppe Rossi has officially been taken off the market after they sold Santi Cazorla to Malaga. The economical problems which the club had have now been resolved by that [€19 Million] transfer. Nevertheless, this decision has liberated Rossi as he's now just focusing on playing football and scoring goals."

"He's not used to being at the centre of such negotiations and tension. He wanted Juventus, but he's accepted the position taken by the president of Villarreal."

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In Barcelona, they have their eyes on a bigger prize. After winning tons of hardware this past year, they have their eyes on more.  With Barca's victory over FC Porto in the UEFA Super Cup, Xavi became the most decorated player in the history of the club. However, according to ESPN, he doesn't want things to end there:

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"I am happy to be the Barcelona player with the most trophies, but it is more about the team. We are making history together and we want to keep on doing that."

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Final Score:

Barcelona 1
Villarreal 2