Villarreal vs Espanyol
Monday night football comes to the Estadio de la Ceramica where two teams desperate for a win come face to face.
La Liga: Villarreal vs Espanyol is a fourth versus sixth clash, but the Primera Division table doesn’t tell the whole story, as neither team has picked up a win over their past five games in all competitions. Marcelino’s Villarreal drew 2-2 with Osasuna last week to end a run of four consecutive defeats while Espanyol head coach Manolo Gonzalez is coming under more pressure as his team lost 2-1 at home to Deportivo Alaves to make it three losses on the bounce.
This is a meeting of two clubs low on confidence at the moment, but things can change quickly and a win for either will do wonders for the victor’s confidence.
The Villarreal vs Espanyol betting odds say the hosts will come out on top…and I’m inclined to agree.
Talking Points
It’s all about La Liga for Villarreal
A draw away to Osasuna last week was something of a relief for Marcelino after his team had been unceremoniously dumped out of the Champions League, finishing with a 3-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen. That loss to Die Werkself made it four on the trot and the Yellow Submarine were in danger of making it an unwanted five, trailing 2-1 midway through the second half. But it was Captain Fantastic Gerard Moreno who led from the front, completing his brace to make it seven for the season and grab a vital point.
Gerard had been rested for the European clash in Germany, along with striker Georges Mikautadze, and they will be raring to go again on Monday alongside top scorer Alberto Moleiro, who has eight for the season. One player that the manager is looking to for improvement is former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, whom he laid into, after the loss to Leverkusen saying: “I think there is a world of difference between the Thomas we knew at Arsenal and this one. It’s difficult to play at this pace in today’s football. I think it’s been six months now, and that’s enough time for him to show us what he’s capable of.”
A stinging rebuke, but Marcelino is trying to get the best out of a squad which looked like surprise title contenders until the turn of the year and they are still comfortably in fourth place, seven points ahead of Real Betis in fifth and with a game in hand. If the Yellow Submarine fails to improve on last season’s fifth place there will be serious questions to answer, and anything less than a win over Espanyol will annoy the manager again.
Villarreal’s Romero is Espanyol’s Jewel
Los Periquitos had a superb first half of the campaign and one of the key men in that progress was wingback Carlos Romero, who arrived in Barcelona on loan from Villarreal in the summer of 2024. The 24 year old has emerged as one of Espanyol’s most consistent players, with good positional sense and a strong tackle. And Romero has flair in attack too, providing two assists and scoring four goals in 21 games from the left flank.
He is particularly strong when playing out from the back against an aggressive press, with his clever ball control and distribution. And Romero is prepared to move inside to change angles and open up more options and space for his team-mates. He has matured as a player at a crucial stage of their season.
Real Betis have recently jumped over Espanyol into fifth place but Los Verdiblancos face Atletico Madrid at the weekend, so if Los Periquitos can pick up a win in Castellon they might just climb back up into fifth.
History
The Yellow Submarine have bossed the head-to-head Villarreal vs Espanyol results with 20 wins to six, though there have been 16 draws over the past 42 games.
At the Estadio de la Ceramica the pattern has been the same, with Villarreal winning 11 to Espanyol’s three with six draws. This fixture ended in a 1-0 win for the hosts last season, and the Yellow Sub took a 2-0 win away from Barcelona in November, to make it six wins on the bounce against Espanyol.
Both teams are without a win in five and both have picked up just one win and one draw from the last six, but it’s fair to say that Villarreal’s fixtures have been tougher, with two Champions League games, an away match against fifth-placed Real Betis and a clash with a resurgent Real Madrid. And in the Primera Division, the Yellow Submarine have picked up two victories and a draw from the last five while Espanyol have taken just a single point in that time.
Betting Tip
Villarreal are hot favourites at SBOTOP odds of 1.73 to win this match, with the draw at 3.60 and an Espanyol win at 4.55; and I expect the Yellow Submarine to come out of the blocks quickly to grab their long awaited victory.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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