Villarreal will be aiming to make it three straight wins in all competitions when they continue their La Liga campaign with a contest against Alaves on Saturday afternoon.
The Yellow Submarine are currently fourth in the La Liga table, boasting 21 points from their opening 11 matches of the season, while Alaves are 14th, picking up 13 points from their first 12 matches of the campaign.
Match preview
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Villarreal have won six, drawn three and lost two of their 11 league matches this season to collect 21 points, which has left them in fourth spot in the table, only three points behind second-placed Real Madrid.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are the only teams to beat Villarreal this term, and they will fancy their chances of challenging Atletico Madrid for third in the table this season, but Marcelino's side, who finished a disappointing eighth last season, will surely have to tighten up defensively if that is to be the case.
The Yellow Submarine have conceded 19 times in their 11 matches this term, but they have scored 20, with only Real Madrid (21) and Barcelona (40) boasting stronger attacking records at this stage.
Marcelino's side ended last month with back-to-back wins over Real Valladolid and Poblense in the league and Copa del Rey respectively, and they have only lost one of their last six matches in all competitions.
Villarreal had been due to take on Rayo Vallecano in the league last weekend, but the fixture was postponed due to the flash floods in Spain, so El Submarino Amarillo are a game behind the majority of the division.
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Alaves finished an impressive 10th in La Liga last term on their return to the top flight, and they look in good shape to secure another campaign at this level, having made a solid start to the season.
The Basque outfit have won four, drawn one and lost seven of their 12 league games to collect 13 points, which has left them in 14th, only three points behind ninth-placed Rayo Vallecano.
Luis Garcia's side will enter this match off the back of successive wins, having beaten Compostela 1-0 in the first round of the Copa del Rey on October 29 before recording a 1-0 victory over Mallorca in La Liga.
Alaves have lost five of their six away league games this term, but they will be travelling to a Villarreal outfit that have performed better on their travels than at home during the 2024-25 campaign.
Both league matches between the two sides last season finished 1-1, and Alaves have only actually lost one of their last five top-flight fixtures against Villarreal, recording two wins in the process.
Team News
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Villarreal remain without the services of Gerard Moreno and Juan Foyth through injury, while Denis Suarez and Alfonso Pedraza remain major doubts for the home side this weekend.
Ayoze Perez scored a hat trick against Poblense in the Copa del Rey last time out to take him onto 10 goals in nine appearances this season, and the 31-year-old is set to be in the XI on Saturday afternoon.
Perez has not started in La Liga since the end of September due to a muscular problem, but he has now sufficiently recovered from the issue and is likely to be joined by Thierno Barry in the final third of the field.
As for Alaves, Hugo Novoa and Carlos Benavidez are on the sidelines, with the latter being forced off during his team's 1-0 success over Mallorca last time out.
Ander Guevara for Benavidez could potentially be the only change from the team's last match, with Kike Garcia again expected to be given the nod through the middle for the Basque outfit.
Carlos Vicente is a certainty down the right, but the attacking role down the left is open, and it is possible that Stoichkov will be introduced into the XI for the contest with Villarreal.
Villarreal possible starting lineup:
Conde; Femenia, Albiol, Costa, S Cardona; Akhomach, Comesana, Parejo, Baena; Barry, Perez
Alaves possible starting lineup:
Sivera; Tenaglia, Abqar, Pica, Sanchez; Blanco, Guevara; Vicente, Guridi, Stoichkov; Kike Garcia
We say: Villarreal 2-1 Alaves
Alaves can take encouragement from their recent record against Villarreal, and we are expecting Saturday's game to be close in terms of the scoreline. However, the Yellow Submarine should be able to navigate their way to all three points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
