Villarreal are still in fourth place in the LaLiga standings and are behind Atlético Madrid in the top three only on tie-breakers. Next up they face Elche, who, after a bright start to the season, have dropped towards the relegation zone.
Villarreal
After two wins against Levante (1:0) and Valencia (2:1), the hosts suffered a heavy 1:4 defeat to Barcelona. However, Barcelona are in outstanding form at the moment, and even against them the hosts generated 1.31 xG. Attack is the hosts' main strength. They have scored 48 goals in 26 rounds; only Real Madrid and Barcelona have a better record. At the same time, the defence have also been reliable, especially at home. In 13 matches at Estadio de la Cerámica, they have conceded only 11 goals (the fourth-best figure in the league).
Elche
Elche have been struggling in 2026. Eder Sarabia’s side have not won any of their last nine matches. Over this spell their defence have been far from solid, committing at least two errors leading to goals in seven of those games. Away from home they are the worst team in LaLiga: in 12 away rounds they have not recorded a single win and have collected only four points.
Villarreal vs Elche Prediction
The first match between Villarreal and Elche ended in favour of Marcelino García Toral’s side. In the upcoming meeting we expect a similar scenario: the hosts should again take all three points and score at least twice.
