Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
Villarreal
Espanyol
On Sunday, April 27, a rescheduled match of the 26th round of the Spanish La Liga will take place, with Villarreal hosting Espanyol at their home ground. The match kicks off at 16:15 Central European Time. I offer you a bet on this encounter.
Villarreal vs Espanyol: Match facts and head-to-head encounters
- Villarreal has not been able to win at home for four consecutive matches: three draws and one loss.
- Espanyol is on a five-match unbeaten run: three wins and two draws.
- In the last ten home matches, Villarreal has won only three times.
- Villarreal ranks 12th in the table for points earned at home.
- Villarreal has won only 9% of their matches with a clean sheet, while Espanyol has 18%.
- Villarreal boasts the fourth-strongest attack in La Liga with 55 goals scored.
- In 85% of the matches this season, the "Yellow Submarine" scores more than 1.5 goals.
- In the first round, Villarreal defeated Espanyol 2-1. The "Yellow Submarine" has not lost to the Catalans since 2020.
Villarreal vs Espanyol: Match preview
Villarreal is currently not showing convincing play, which is why they have fallen out of the top five in the standings. In the last five matches, the team has won only twice. And at home, the situation is even worse—four matches without a win. At the moment, the "Yellow Submarine" has 52 points and has dropped from fifth to sixth place. The gap from Betis is only two points, but it's time to start winning if the team wants to compete for a spot in the Champions League. Moreover, Villarreal has a game in hand—precisely the one to be played. So in terms of points lost, they are still fifth, but winning is essential.
Espanyol is currently in the second half of the La Liga table. Despite being in 13th place, the points cushion is not enough to confidently talk about staying in the elite. The gap from the 18th position is seven points, and there are six matches ahead, including this rescheduled one. So the Catalans have a good chance to stay in La Liga. This is also helped by the team's form—five matches without a loss, including three wins. Last season, Espanyol played in the Segunda, but now it seems they will manage to retain their place in La Liga.
Probable lineups
- Villarreal: Vicentini, Troyo, Leguizamon, Grillo, Longo, Compagnoni, Quinonez, Menossi, Fernandez, Gonzalez Metilla, Jara
- Espanyol: Rodriguez, Godoy, Alvarez, Vega, Lozano, Lescano, Viveros, Rodriguez, Oros, Cardoso, Molina
Prediction
Villarreal is currently not in the best form, but they have no room to retreat—the fifth place is already lost. I think it will be tough for them at home against Espanyol, but they will achieve victory. Considering one of the best attacks in the championship, my bet is on the "Yellow Submarine"'s individual total of over 1.5 goals with odds of 1.54.
