The Matchday 26 La Liga clash between Villarreal and Espanyol will take place on March 3 at the Estadio de la Cerámica. Villarreal vs. Espanyol: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Villarreal
The Valencians continue to hold onto fifth place in the standings, trailing the top four by four points. The team maintains this high position thanks to an unbeaten run in their last six La Liga matches, achieving 4 wins and 2 draws. Notably, in their last league outing, the club defeated Rayo Vallecano away with a score of 1-0.
- No more than three goals have been scored in 8 of Villarreal's last 11 La Liga games.
- Both teams scored in 7 of the last 10 league matches for the Valencians.
- The club has not conceded in the first half in their previous seven La Liga encounters.
Predicted lineup for Villarreal (4-4-2)
Diego Conde – Sergi Cardona, Logan Costa, Willy Kambwala, Juan Foyth – Yeremy Pino, Santi Comesaña, Alex Baena, Pape Gueye – Ayoze Perez, Thierno Barry.
Midfielder Ilias Akhomach and forward Gerard Moreno will miss the match due to injuries.
Espanyol
The Catalans have performed well in their last two La Liga matches. First, the team drew 1-1 at home against Athletic, then secured a 1-0 away victory over Alaves. Additionally, in their last seven league matches, Manolo Gonzalez's men have suffered only one defeat (3 wins and 3 draws). Thanks to this run, the club has risen to 15th place, four points clear of the relegation zone.
- No more than two goals have been scored in 9 of Espanyol's last 11 La Liga matches.
- The club has not conceded more than one goal in 10 of their last 11 league games.
- The Catalans have won only one first half in their last 14 away La Liga matches (7 draws and 6 losses).
Predicted lineup for Espanyol (4-4-2)
Joan Garcia – Omar El Hilali, Leandro Cabrera, Carlos Romero, Marash Kumbulla – Jofre Carreras, Urko Gonzalez, Alex Kral, Pol Lozano – Javi Puado, Roberto Fernandez Jaen.
Referee
Jose Luis Munuera Montero (Spain)
Matches – 12 (La Liga, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 61;
Average yellow cards per match – 5.1;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 42%.
Villarreal vs. Espanyol: Match Prediction
Both teams are in good form and have improved their league standings. However, the Valencians, who are much higher in the table and have suffered only five defeats in La Liga 2024/25 (compared to Espanyol's 12), are expected to take all three points. A key factor is that Villarreal is playing at home, where they have only lost to Betis and Barcelona in their last 15 La Liga matches (7 wins and 6 draws).
Meanwhile, before defeating Alaves, Espanyol had not won away in La Liga for 12 matches (3 draws and 9 losses). Additionally, the team has not scored more than one goal in their last 12 consecutive away La Liga matches. Furthermore, the Valencians have beaten this opponent in their last four league encounters. Therefore, I favor the prediction – Villarreal with a handicap (-1)
