Villarreal head coach Marcelino spoke about Barcelona ahead of the La Liga clash between the two teams at La Ceramica on Sunday.

Barca go into the game as league leaders and face a Villarreal team that has also had a good start to the season and is looking forward to the game.

“This is a big game for us. We are playing against a great team, the best in the league at the moment. That’s what the results and the numbers say. We will play a very nice game with great expectations,” he told reporters.

“These are the kind of games we professionals like to play. Barça has great potential. We know we can still improve, but the fact that we have picked up 11 out of 15 possible points on difficult pitches is a sign that we are doing well.”

Marcelino also commented on Barcelona’s loss to Monaco, believing that the result was not a true reflection of the two teams due to the early red card.

“The goal is to win. Barça have just lost a game that shows that football sometimes puts you in unexpected situations. Nobody wants to be down one player in the first minutes of a game,” he explained.

“Yesterday’s game is not an indicator of how the team functions. FC Barcelona play with tempo, with speed, more vertically than we are used to, and they bring a number of other characteristics to the game that make them more dangerous. They are a really attractive team.”

Villarreal will have to deal with an in-form Lamine Yamal when Barca come to town and Marcelino has no doubts about his quality.

“We are all constantly amazed at what a boy can do on a football pitch: his daring, his boldness, his self-confidence,” he added.

“He is a player who can shape an era, but that depends on many factors. The fact that there are players of this level in our league is what makes the league great.”

Yamal also scored against Monaco, taking his season tally in all competitions for Barcelona to four.