Villarreal vs Alaves predictions and match preview for Wednesday’s game in LaLiga. Read on for the head-to-head, team news, betting tips and predicted lineups as the Yellow Submarine aim to bounce back from a heavy defeat.
- DATE: Wednesday 30th September 2020
- KICK-OFF: 19:00 (local time)
- VENUE: Estadio Ceramica
Villarreal vs Alaves Preview
After a fairly woeful display at Camp Nou, this on paper should be the kind of game Villarreal need to get back on track. They host an Alaves side that has not impressed so far this season with just 1 point from their opening 3 games suggesting they may be on course for a difficult campaign under Pablo Machin.
Neither Unai Emery nor Villarreal had good records at Camp Nou heading into Sunday’s game but nobody expected the Yellow Submarine to fall apart quite so quickly. 4-0 down at Half-Time, the result was a major reality check for followers of Villarreal who may have hoped their side would push for a top four finish this term.
While they did recruit well and mostly quite cheaply, the absence of the influential Santi Cazorla is still something they are adapting too and it may take time for this new look team to gel under new management.
Alaves are another team to have made a coaching switch in the summer but frustratingly for Pablo Machin, his arrival hasn’t been followed by the kind of extensive recruitment that was perhaps needed. There is still time to dip into the transfer market, but having veered away from his trusty 3-5-2 in the 0-0 draw against Getafe last time out, Machin doesn’t seem convinced that the players he has are capable of thriving in that system.
Head to Head
- Last 6 Competitive Meetings: 3 Villarreal Wins, 3 Alaves Wins.
- Villarreal won both league meetings last term, including a 4-1 win at the Ceramica.
- Alaves had though won on each of their 3 previous trips to Villarreal.
- They’ve scored on all of their last 6 visits to this stadium in LaLiga.
Team News
Rotation is expected in midfield from Villarreal. Both Vicente Iborra and Take Kubo are expected to come into the side and both will feel as though they have a chance to break into Emery’s first choice XI if they can perform well.
Alaves may go 4-4-2 again. Skipper Manu Garcia is available once more but he may not be able to force his way into the side for this one.
Predicted Villarreal Starting Lineup:
Asenjo – Estupinan, Albiol, Torres, Gaspar – Kubo, Parejo, Iborra, Chukwueze – Moreno, Alcacer (4-4-2)
Predicted Alaves Starting Lineup:
Pacheco – Duarte, Lejeune, Laguardia, Ximo – Lopez, Pons, Battaglia, Edgar – Deyverson, Perez (4-4-2)
Villarreal vs Alaves Predictions
Score Prediction: Villarreal 2-1 Alaves
Villarreal are still clearly a work in progress under Unai Emery but they do have some real quality in their ranks which should enable them to dictate the play and tempo of this kind of game. Alaves look like a team without much of an identity at the moment and they are likely to fall to defeat here.
LaLiga Betting Tips (18+)
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