The Matchday 30 La Liga clash between Villarreal and Athletic will take place on April 6 at the Estadio de la Cerámica. Villarreal vs. Athletic: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Villarreal
The Valencian side had a rough start to the spring, suffering defeats in two consecutive La Liga matches. They lost away to Alaves (0-1) and then fell short at home against Real Madrid (1-2). However, they managed to secure a victory at the end of March, defeating Getafe 2-1 on the road. Currently sitting in fifth place, Villarreal is six points behind the Champions League spots, with a game in hand.
- No more than three goals were scored in Villarreal's last six La Liga matches.
- Both teams scored in 6 of the club’s last 8 league games.
- Villarreal has not lost in 7 of their last 9 La Liga matches (5 wins and 2 draws).
Predicted lineup for Villarreal (4-4-2)
Luis Junior – Sergi Cardona, Pau Navarro, Willy Kambwala, Juan Foyth – Santi Comesaña, Dani Parejo, Alex Baena, Tajon Buchanan – Ayoze Perez, Tierno Barry.
Athletic
Athletic's matches in March were low-scoring affairs. The team suffered their fourth defeat of the current La Liga season, losing 0-1 away to Atletico Madrid. They then drew at home against Mallorca (1-1) and Osasuna (0-0), and secured a 1-0 away win over Sevilla. The team remains in fourth place in the standings, with a decent chance to catch up with Atletico, who are four points ahead. Notably, only Atletico has conceded fewer goals than Athletic this season (one goal less).
- In 17 of Athletic's last 19 La Liga games, no more than three goals were scored.
- Athletic has not conceded more than one goal in their last seven league matches.
- In 9 of the club's last 12 away La Liga matches, the first half ended in a draw.
Predicted lineup for Athletic (4-3-3)
Unai Simon – Andoni Gorosabel, Lekue, Yeray Alvarez, Unai Nunez – Unai Gomez, Benat Prados, Mikel Vesga – Inaki Williams, Gorka Guruzeta, Alex Berenguer.
Villarreal vs. Athletic: Match Prediction
These opponents, along with Betis, seem to be in the race for the last Champions League spot. Athletic is currently ahead, leading both rivals by six points, but Villarreal has a game in hand. If Villarreal wins, they will equal Athletic on points lost. The club from Bilbao understands the importance of not dropping points and will aim to keep their opponents at bay.
Ernesto Valverde's side is excellent defensively, which is why they are among the top four in La Liga. Even away from home, Athletic has not conceded more than one goal in 9 of their last 10 league matches. I am confident that the visitors will play cautiously in defense, aware of Villarreal's attacking strengths. Additionally, Villarreal has scored more than one goal only once in their last five league matches. Moreover, no more than two goals were scored in 9 of the last 12 head-to-head meetings in La Liga.
My prediction: Total under 2.5 goals
