From teammates to rivals

When FC Barcelona play Villarreal at the Estadio de la Ceramica this Sunday, there will be a reunion between several former teammates. The most notable, perhaps, is the case of Paco Alcácer, the former Barça striker.

Crossing paths with Alcácer

The striker joined FC Barcelona from Valencia in the 2016/17 season. Since his debut, on September 10, 2016, against Alavés, Alcacer played a total of 50 games and scored 15 goals. With Villarreal, he has found the net in two of the last three games.

Alcácer will be up against Barça goalkeeper Ter Stegen, whom he has faced on one occasion before: For Borussia Dortmund in a 0-0 draw in this year's Champions League..
 
The Spaniard has scored against Piqué, Jordi Alba, Busquets and Messi, however, playing for Valencia. The game ended 2-3 at the Camp Nou in 'Los Ché's favour, back in 2013/14. It is the only time that he has got a goal against Barça.

Rakitic vs. Alberto Moreno, Iborra and Bacca

Sevilla won the 2013/14 Europa League with Alberto Moreno, Rakitic, Iborra and Bacca as key components of their squad. Three of those players are now at Villarreal, whilst Rakitic is a stalwart in the Barça midfield.

Quintillà's Barça past

Xavier Quintillà played for FC Barcelona at youth level, joining the Under-19s team. He would become a Youth League winner in 2013/14 in a side including Munir, Ondoa, Kaptoum and Adama Traoré.

This season at Villarreal he has featured in rotations at left back with Alberto Moreno and Rubén Peña.

The game at the Estadio de la Ceràmica is the second meeting between Barça and Villarreal this term, after the match earlier this season at the Camp Nou (2-1). However, the players have squared off on other occasions with previous clubs in other leagues: Suárez (Liverpool) and Cazorla (Arsenal) in the Premier League; Anguissa (Olympique Marseille) and Lenglet (Nancy), Umtiti (OL) and Braithwaite (Toulouse) in Ligue 1; Vidal (Juventus) and Neto (Fiorentina and Juventus) and Albiol (Napoli) in Serie A, and Neto (Juventus) and Bacca (AC Milan) in the Italian league.