Villarreal vs Espanyol Match Preview & Prediction

Villarreal vs Espanyol predictions, H2H and match preview for this Sunday’s game in La Liga. Read on for analysis and predicted line-ups as the hosts look to make it 4 wins on the spin in the league.

Villarreal vs Espanyol Preview

This is a really big game for Espanyol. They secured an impressive draw against city rivals and league leaders Barcelona in their first game under Abelardo but they really need to back that up with a result here if there is to be any sense that their derby result was the start of a turnaround in their fortunes. It won’t be easy against in-form Villarreal.

The Yellow Submarine have won their last 3 league matches. Those victories all came in tricky games with fellow European hopefuls Sevilla, Getafe and Real Sociedad all defeated. This in theory should be a much easier challenge against the league’s bottom club but this is precisely the sort of game where Villarreal have been slipping up with 2 of their most recent 3 defeats coming against struggling Celta Vigo and Mallorca.

Espanyol will be a hoping a combination of new coach Abelardo and new €20m signing Raúl de Tomás can spark a great escape act. In theory, both moves were good ones from the club but they have left themselves an awful amount to do with only 11 points on the board at the midway point in the season. They are going to need to start winning football matches and quickly if they are going to avoid the drop to the Segunda Division.

Both sides should be close to full strength here although significantly Villarreal have a doubt over the fitness of centre-back Raul Albiol. Ramiro Funes Mori is on standby to fill in and that would offer Espanyol a boost. The visitors meanwhile look set to go with new-boy Raúl de Tomás in attack alongside Jonathan Calleri with a 4-4-2 formation expected.

Villarreal vs Espanyol Predictions

Score Prediction: 2-2 Draw

Whenever you think Villarreal are starting to come good, they tend to slip up and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if that was the case again here. Espanyol have at least taken some steps to try and rectify their current plight and Abelardo does seem to have a got a reaction from this team where Pablo Machin failed. R.D.T. is a good signing and they could cause enough problems in this game to get a result.

Villarreal vs Espanyol Betting Tips & Odds (18+)

Home Win 17/25 | Draw 14/5 | Away Win 9/2 – odds via Betfair

You can view our Villarreal-Espanyol tips plus those for all the other matches over the weekend in La Liga by signing up to follow LaLigaExpert for free on Tipstrr. You will also be able to see a full history of our profit/loss figures there.

Please note, that we don’t guarantee any long-term gains if you’re backing our tips. Only bet what you can afford to lose. See BeGambleAware for more on responsible gambling.