Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the La Liga match.
Osasuna are fighting to retain their place among the top five, while Villarreal are aiming to catch up with the leading trio. The match promises to be rich in goals, with quality attackers on both sides and unreliable defences likely to contribute.
Osasuna
Osasuna traditionally play confidently at home, but a lack of defensive concentration often leads to conceding goals, particularly against teams from the upper half of the table. The team from Pamplona have won five of their seven home fixtures, but they have also conceded goals in five of those games. Their attack is built around Ante Budimir, who has netted six goals. The 0:4 defeat to Real Madrid in the last round highlighted their defensive vulnerabilities, making it clear their defence is not among the league's most reliable, averaging 1.53 goals conceded per game.
Villarreal
Villarreal have been quite prolific this season, averaging 1.91 goals per game. Ayoze Perez has been the main force in their attack, scoring seven goals in La Liga. The team are particularly strong away from home, winning five of their seven matches, failing to score only once when they faced the formidable Real Madrid (0:2). Villarreal concede as consistently as they score, recording only one clean sheet in 12 games.
Osasuna vs Villarreal Prediction
Both teams boast impressive attacking lines but are unstable in defence. The probability of both teams scoring is high, given the form of Ante Budimir at home and Ayoze Pérez for the visitors. Moreover, these clubs often trade goals in their head-to-head encounters, with both sides scoring in 10 of their last 13 meetings.
