Matchday 18 of La Liga will see Leganes take on Villarreal on December 22 at the Butarque Stadium. Leganes vs. Villarreal: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Alejandro Muniz Ruiz (Spain)
Matches – 9 (La Liga, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 33;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.7;
Red cards shown – 4;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 33%.
Predicted lineups for Leganes vs. Villarreal
Leganes (5-4-1): Marko Dmitrovic – Adria Altimira, Sergio Gonzalez, Jorge Saenz, Sergio Gonzalez, Renato Tapia – Ivan Neyu, Seydouba Cisse, Oscar Rodriguez, Munir El Haddadi – Miguel de la Fuente
Villarreal (4-4-2): Luis Junior – Sergi Cardona, Willy Kambwala, Logan Costa, Pau Navarro – Denis Suarez, Yeremy Pino, Santi Comesana, Pape Gueye – Thierno Barry, Ayoze Perez.
Each team's starting lineup from their last match in this tournament is indicated.
Leganes
The club from the suburbs of Madrid pulled off a major upset in the last round, defeating Barcelona on their home turf (1-0). Prior to this, Borja Jimenez's side had been thrashed at home by both Real Madrid and Real Sociedad (3-0 in both cases), and played to a draw away against Alaves (1-1). The team has moved up to 15th place but remains close to the relegation zone, just three points clear.
- In their last 15 league matches, Leganes have secured only three wins (5 draws and 7 losses).
- The club has failed to score in the first half of their last eight home matches in La Liga.
- At least two goals have been scored in the second half in 6 of Leganes' last 8 La Liga games.
Villarreal
The Valencia-based team failed to beat Rayo Vallecano at home in the last round (1-1), playing with ten men from the 32nd minute. This marked their fifth consecutive league match without a win (3 draws and 2 losses). As a result of this streak, the club has fallen six points behind the top four, although they do have a game in hand. Notably, Marcelino Garcia's side has conceded 28 goals, with only Valladolid (34) and Espanyol (29) having worse defenses in La Liga.
Defender Willy Kambwala will miss the match due to suspension.
- Both teams have scored in 16 of Villarreal's last 19 La Liga matches.
- Exactly two or three goals have been scored in 8 of the club's last 9 league games.
- The number "2" has appeared in the final scoreline of Valencia's last six away league matches.
Leganes vs. Villarreal: Match Prediction
Despite Leganes' victory over Barcelona, it is important not to overestimate this team. They are a typical lower-table side capable of pulling off a one-off performance but unable to maintain such form consistently. I predict that Borja Jimenez's side will not win a second consecutive league match, something the club from the Madrid suburbs hasn't achieved since July 2020.
Villarreal is losing ground, slipping down the table largely due to a weak defensive line that has kept just one clean sheet this season. The team has decent away results (fifth in La Liga) and has only lost to Real Madrid and Athletic in their last 10 matches. Notably, Valencia has scored in 15 of their last 17 away La Liga matches. I believe Villarreal will at least avoid defeat, with both teams finding the net. My prediction: Double Chance X2 and Both Teams to Score – Yes
