Villarreal will be aiming to bounce back from successive defeats when they continue their La Liga campaign with a clash against Real Betis at Estadio de la Ceramica on Sunday evening.
The Yellow Submarine are currently fifth in the La Liga table, six points behind fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao with two games in hand, while Real Betis have dropped to 11th due to their inconsistent form.
Match preview
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Villarreal will enter Sunday's clash off the back of successive losses, going down 1-0 to fourth-tier outfit Pontevedra in the second round of the Copa del Rey on December 4, before losing 2-0 to Athletic in La Liga last weekend.
Marcelino's side sit fifth in the table, six points behind fourth-placed Athletic, but they do have two games in hand on the Lions, and it has been a strong start to the campaign for the Yellow Submarine.
Villarreal have been a good watch in Spain's top flight this season, scoring 27 times, which is the fourth-best attacking record, but they have conceded 25, which is the joint-fourth worst defensive record.
El Submarino Amarillo finished a disappointing eighth in La Liga last season, so they are not operating in Europe this term, which should give them an advantage in the second half of the campaign.
Villarreal actually lost 2-1 to Real Betis in the corresponding match between the two sides last term, but they recorded a 3-2 victory in the reverse match in Seville, so the hosts will be looking to make it back-to-back wins over the Green and Whites this weekend.
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Both Real Betis and Villarreal have posted two wins from their last five meetings, with the other match being drawn, and a close game is expected this weekend, as there is not too much difference between the two squads.
Manuel Pellegrini's side will bring a three-game unbeaten run into this match, beating Sant Andreu 3-1 in the Copa del Rey on December 4 before drawing 2-2 with Barcelona in the league last weekend.
Real Betis were 2-1 behind entering the final moments of their clash with Barcelona, but Aitor Ruibal set up Assane Diao to make it 2-2 in the final exchanges, with the Seville outfit claiming a point which moved them onto 21 for the season.
The Green and Whites are 11th in the table, but they are only three points behind sixth-placed Real Sociedad, so a lot could change in terms of league position in a short space of time.
Real Betis will enter this match off the back of a European win, meanwhile, beating Petrocub 1-0 on Thursday, with the result leaving them 17th in the Europa Conference League table, three points off the automatic qualification spots.
Team News
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Villarreal will be missing Diego Conde and Ilias Akhomach through injury on Sunday, while Santi Comesana is suspended due to the milestone yellow card that he picked up in the two-goal defeat to Athletic.
Ayoze Perez, who has 10 goals in 12 appearances in 2024-25, has had his injury troubles this season, but the Spaniard is fit for this match, and he is set to start alongside Thierno Barry in the final third of the field.
Alex Baena has been another of the team's standout performers this season, and the attacker, who is believed to be on Barcelona's radar, is set to again operate down the left for the Yellow Submarine.
As for Real Betis, Johnny Cardoso, Nobel Mendy, Marc Roca and William Carvalho are on the sidelines through injury, while Mateo Flores, Romain Perraud, Pablo Fornals and Hector Bellerin are fitness doubts.
Head coach Pellegrini will make changes to the side that started against Petrocub on Thursday, with Sergi Altimira, Abde Ezzalzouli, Vitor Roque and Marc Bartra among those set to return to the XI.
Diao played the full 90 minutes last time out after scoring against Barcelona off the bench, but the attacker is expected to be among the substitutes for the first whistle on Sunday evening.
Villarreal possible starting lineup:
Luiz Junior; Femenia, Albiol, Costa, Bernat; Pino, Suarez, Parejo, Baena; Perez, Barry
Real Betis possible starting lineup:
Vieites; Sabaly, Bartra, Llorente, Perraud; Flores, Altimira; Avila, Lo Celso, Ezzalzouli; Roque
We say: Villarreal 2-1 Real Betis
Villarreal have just had a little wobble, and it would be fair to say that their best football this season has come on their travels; Real Betis have only won one of their eight league matches away from their own stadium this term, though, and we are expecting Villarreal to shade a close match on Sunday evening.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
