The Matchday 1 clash in La Liga between Villarreal and Oviedo will take place on August 15 at the Estadio de la Cerámica. Villarreal vs. Oviedo: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Villarreal
For nine years now, the Valencians have been unable to break into the top four of La Liga. Last season, the team settled for fifth place in the standings, missing out on fourth to Athletic only on tiebreakers. However, due to the Spanish and English leagues receiving an extra spot in the Champions League, Villarreal will play in the main stage of this European competition in the autumn. Notably, the club secured the fifth spot thanks to a six-match winning streak at the end of the championship. Additionally, the Valencians averaged 1.87 goals per match in the last Primera, which was the third-best attacking performance among all La Liga clubs.
This summer, forwards Alex Baena and Thierno Barry left the club. Among the acquisitions, forward Alberto Moleiro and midfielder Tajon Buchanan are noteworthy.
- At least three goals were scored in 7 of the last 9 matches of the Valencians in the championship.
- In the last 11 Primera matches, Villarreal suffered only 1 defeat (8 wins and 2 draws).
- The team is on a six-match unbeaten run at home in La Liga (4 wins and 2 draws).
Predicted lineup for Villarreal (4-4-2)
Luis Junior – Sergi Cardona, Pau Navarro, Logan Costa, Juan Foyth – Daniel Parejo, Yeremi Pino, Santi Comesaña, Alberto Moleiro – Ayoze Perez, Nicolas Pepe.
Oviedo
The Asturians returned to La Liga after 24 years. This achievement was largely due to the appointment of Veljko Paunović as head coach at the end of March. Under this manager, the team played 14 matches in the Segunda and playoffs, winning 9, drawing 4, and losing only once. In the championship, the club finished third, then advanced past Almería (2:1 and 1:1) and Mirandés (0:1 and 3:1) in the playoffs.
During the offseason, the club loaned forward Salomón Rondón from Pachuca.
- No more than 3 goals were scored in the last 8 matches of the club in the Segunda.
- Oviedo conceded in the last 5 matches in Spain's second division.
- The team has not won in 7 of the last 9 away matches in the Segunda (4 draws and 3 losses).
Predicted lineup for Oviedo (4-4-2)
Aarno Escandell – Rahim Alhassan, David Costas, Oier Luengo, Nacho Vidal – Dani Calvo, Santiago Colombatto, Kwasi Sibo, Haissem Hassan – Ilias Chaira, Daniel Paraschiv.
Referee:
Alejandro Munoz (Spain)
Matches – 20 (La Liga, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 76;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.8;
Red cards shown – 6;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 25%.
Villarreal vs. Oviedo: Match Prediction
Villarreal's matches last season were the second most prolific after Barcelona, averaging 3.2 goals per game. Marcelino García's side was not only strong in attack but also conceded often. It is likely that the team will continue to entertain with their goal-scoring prowess in the new championship.
Villarreal's home matches were particularly thrilling, with an average of 3.7 goals scored. I expect the Valencians to score at least two goals in the first round. The team prefers attacking football and aims to score early against opponents. However, Villarreal players sometimes get caught on the counter, so Oviedo might also find the net. Notably, the Asturians have scored in 9 of their last 10 matches in the Segunda.
My prediction – Total over 2.5 goals
