Villarreal – Espanyol Prediction & Preview and Betting Tips (04.03.2017)

Prediction for Villarreal – Espanyol

Win Espanyol Asian Handicap +0.5 @ 2.17

Match of the 26th day of the Santander League that will face the Villarreal Cf of Fran Escribá, in front of the RCD Espanyol of “Quique” Sánchez Flores in the stadium of La Cerámica.

Villarreal

On the one hand comes Villarreal, 6th place with 42 points, of which he has won 24 in his stadium (57%). We could say that this season has been quite irregular, capable of the best and worst, even in the same game, and mainly that is why it is not in Champions positions. They have moments of disconnection that hurt them too much, as the comeback of Real Madrid, which could be minimally understandable, but also as the last game against Osasuna (1-4), which at times it was clear that with 1-2 The Osauna would be able to overcome, having started the game with a 2-goal lead at halftime.

I expect a game much more even than the houses estimate. I do not think it’s 50%, but not nearly 60%. It is true that one could go out one of the good games to Villarreal and win comfortably, but I think that Espanyol will not make it at all easy. It is an almost direct duel for European posts and both will want to win, so motivation I expect equally from both. Now I go to detail the parties of both as local / visitor:

VILLARREAL (7 V / 3 E / 3 D):
Victories —> R.Sociedad / Osasuna / Las Palmas / Celta / Villarreal / Atletico Madrid / Granada)
Draws —> Sevilla / Barça / Málaga
Defeats —> Alavés / Valencia / Real Madrid

On the part of Villarreal, it is true that he has won more matches than he has tied and lost together, but only 1 more. But they do not go through their best moment of the season. Since the beginning of the year, in 2017, he has only managed to win the Granada in the La Cerámica stadium, having won 2 draws against Malaga and Barça, and two defeats against Madrid and Valencia.

Espanyol

On the other hand comes Espanyol, 9th in the table with 36 points, having got 16 playing as a visitor (44%). In the other place, there will be Espanyol, which if it has demonstrated something this season has been regularity. He has not made big games, he has not been outstanding for his game, but he has always been there, and with the last points obtained have approached European posts. They started something wrong, due to being a completely new project, many signings and new coach, but once again Quique has proved to be a good coach, and already begin to see the first symptoms of a good group, which has variables, and not only He knows how to play in a way, that is, he knows how to adapt.

ESPANYOL (4 V / 4 E / 4 D):
Victorias —> Osasuna / Betis / Alaves / Málaga
Draws —> R.Sociedad / Las Palmas / Atlético de Madrid / Celta
Defeats —> Sevilla / Barça / Valencia / Real Madrid

For Espanyol, yes we could say that he has won or tied more matches than he has lost, specifically 8/4. In addition, looking at the games that have fallen defeated, we see that 3 of the 4 teams, are the top three ranked in the League, and the other is Valencia, who has lately been able to make a break, but also has left to wish in others. But what I go is that the 4 losses, playing as a visitor, are 4 losses that could be expected. But he has also visited 4 other difficult fields, such as Anoeta, Insular, Calderon and Balaídos, without having been defeated, getting a draw.

As for the H2h, we must also play minimally in our favor. The last results between these teams in the Madrigal (now the pottery), were: 3-1 // 0-3 // 2-1 // 0-0 // 4-0 // 0-0. Of the last 6, 3 have won Villarreal, and 3 have been a draw or Espanyol victory, but as a curiosity we can see that of those 3 wins, have never been 2 consecutive, and the last was a Villarreal victory. It is simply a curiosity, but it must also be taken into account.