Thursday's La Liga predictions including Barcelona vs. Villarreal

Almeria vs. Girona (Thursday, 6.00pm)

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Two newly-promoted sides face off in LaLiga on Thursday, as Almeria welcome Girona to the Power Horse Stadium with just one point separating the two teams.

The hosts were swept aside by Real Betis last weekend but will be looking to bounce back on home soil against a visiting side who are winless in four.

We say: Almeria 1-1 Girona

With both sides desperate for the win, we are predicting a cagey game, with neither side wanting to overcommit and leave themselves vulnerable on the counter.

Almeria have looked better going forward in recent weeks, while Girona are always dangerous with Stuani on the pitch, so a score draw would seem to be a plausible outcome.

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Osasuna vs. Espanyol (Thursday, 7.00pm)

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Osasuna welcome Espanyol to El Sadar on Thursday in LaLiga, with the hosts looking to get back on track after two consecutive defeats.

Jagoba Arrasate's men were beaten comfortably by Villarreal on Monday, while the visitors finally grabbed their first home victory of the season last time out, with a 1-0 win over Real Valladolid.

We say: Osasuna 2-1 Espanyol

Osasuna are in desperate need of a win here, and can count on their passionate home support to make El Sadar a cauldron ahead of the visit of Espanyol.

While we fancy the away side to score due to the red-hot form of Joselu, we are predicting a much-needed victory for the hosts.

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Barcelona vs. Villarreal (Thursday, 8.00pm)

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Barcelona will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing El Clasico defeat on the weekend, as they welcome Villarreal to Camp Nou on Thursday.

The hosts were beaten 3-1 by their arch rivals at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, while the visitors secured a much-needed 2-0 win over Osasuna.

We say: Barcelona 2-1 Villarreal

Desperate to keep up with Real Madrid, dropped points are simply not an option for Barcelona in the weeks following their Clasico defeat.

Villarreal will make it very awkward for the home side, but their superior firepower should see them through to a narrow win.

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> How Barcelona could line up against Villarreal

> Barcelona injury, suspension list vs. Villarreal