Full of goals at the end of the year on the Spanish east coast?
With completely different momentum Villarreal CF and Deportivo Alaves go into the catch-up game of La Liga actually scheduled for the fourth matchday. The reigning Europa League champions have won all of their last four competitive games, while the visitors from the Basque Country have gone winless in that period and have even lost three of their last four competitive games.
Not only did the Babazorros recently fail to beat third division side Linares Deportivo in the Copa del Rey, but they also lost to Rayo Vallecano in league action on Saturday. In the run-up to the match between Villarreal and Alaves, the odds are clearly in favour of the home side.
Villarreal’s recent strong form cannot hide the fact that things have not always gone so well in recent months. After all, the eastern Spaniards have failed to win 13 of their last 18 league games, which is why betting on the number of goals in Villarreal’s match against Alaves offers slightly more value than the win bet.
The fact that at least three goals have been scored in this clash nine times in a row speaks in favour of more than 2.5 goals.
Villarreal – Statistics & current form
In Unai Emery’s first year in charge, Villarreal Club de Fútbol not only managed a respectable seventh place in the final table. The Submarino Amarillo (the yellow submarine) also secured the first major title in the club’s history by winning the Europa League.
This coup also allowed the players from the Spanish east coast to take part in the Champions League, where they won their ticket to the last 16 in Group F with ten points out of a possible 18. There they will face Juventus Turin next spring.
Only five wins from first 17 games in league action
While the new season has been extremely successful at international level, there have been no resounding successes at domestic level. After 17 games, the Submarino Amarillo are just eleventh and could even climb to eighth place with a three-goal win in the catch-up game.
The reason for this is that they have often dropped points. Only five of the 17 league games so far have been won. In the other twelve games, however, the three-pointer failed to materialise, which means that the interim balance sheet in the second year under Unai Emery is mixed.
Four competitive games won in a row
Defensively, the East Spaniards have been solid, conceding 18 goals from 17 games, which is why the odds are also swinging towards Emery’s eleven in Villarreal vs. Alaves.
Finally, Villarreal have been in very good form lately. They have won their last four competitive games in a row, including a vital 3-2 away win at Atalanta Bergamo in their last Champions League group game and a 3-1 win at in-form Basque side Real Sociedad in La Liga.
Predicted Villarreal line-up:
Rulli – Estupinán – Torres – Albiol – Foyth – A. Moreno – Parejo – Capoue – Pino – Dia – G. Moreno
Last matches played by Villarreal:
LaLiga
12/18 2021 – San Sebastian 1 – 3 FC Villarreal
Copa del Rey
12/15 2021 – Atletico Sanluqueno CF 1 – 7 Villarreal FC
LaLiga
12/12 2021 – Villarreal FC 2 – 0 Rayo Vallecano
Champions League Grp. F
12/09 2021 – Atalanta Bergamo 2 – 3 FC Villarreal
LaLiga
12/04 2021 – Sevilla 1 – 0 Villarreal FC
Alaves – Statistics & current form
Club Deportivo Alavés were last relegated from La Liga in 2006, before even going down to the third division three years later. Four years later, the Babazorros freed themselves there again and finally returned to La Liga as second division champions in the summer of 2016, ten years after relegation.
The Basques are now in their sixth consecutive year there, although things have been getting tighter of late. After an outstanding ninth-place finish in their first year of first-division affiliation, the kickers in the blue-and-white striped jerseys have only finished 16th in the final table on two recent occasions.
Won three of last five away games at Villarreal
Currently, the Babazorros are actually below the line under their coach Javier Calleja, who was hired in April. As the current 18th in the table, however, they are level on points with current 16th-placed Getafe. Any point gained in the post-season match would therefore lead to Alaves spending the winter in a non-relegation spot.
Accordingly, the Basques are motivated to travel to the Spanish east coast, where in recent years they have always been able to win something. Since the aforementioned promotion in the summer of 2016, three of the five away games at the Estadio de la Cerámica have been won.
Alaves lack quality across the board
Never the less, Villarreal vs Alaves is a rather ill-starred bet to win the next point at the yellow sub. After all, the Babazorros arrive in very poor form. They have lost four of their last six games.
Last week, the Basques even failed at third division side Linares Deportivo in the Copa del Rey, before suffering the next setback in La Liga. One of the main problems: Calleja’s eleven is too dependent on striker Joselu, who has single-handedly scored eight of Alaves’ only 13 league goals. Behind him, there is a lack of quality, especially across the board.
Predicted line-up of Alaves:
Pacheco – Duarte – Laguardia – Rodríguez – Aguirregabiria – Loum – Rioja – Moya – Pons – de la Fuente – Joselu
Last matches played by Alaves:
LaLiga
12/18 2021 – Rayo Vallecano 2 – 0 Deportivo Alaves
Copa del Rey
12/14 2021 – Linares Deportivo 2 – 1 Deportivo Alaves
LaLiga
12/11 2021 – Deportivo Alaves 1 – 1 Getafe
12/03 2021 – Granada 2 – 1 Deportivo Alaves
Copa del Rey
11/30 2021 – Unami CP 0 – 3 Deportivo Alaves
Villarreal – Alaves Direct comparison / H2H balance
Head to head: 11 – 1 – 14
There have been a total of 26 meetings between the two teams so far and the head-to-head comparison swings in the direction of the Basques, who not only won their last home match against Villarreal on 21 April 2021 (2-1), but also took the three points in three of their last five away matches on Spain’s east coast.
Villarreal – Alaves Tip
For Villarreal against Alaves, the prediction must take into account that the Submarino Amarillo, despite the recent series of four consecutive league games won, could only win five of the last 18 league games. Accordingly, it would be risky to follow the favourite bet, especially as the quotes for a home win for the East Spaniards do not promise the greatest value.
Instead, it makes a lot of sense to bet on a high-scoring duel. After all, both teams need a win and cannot afford to hide, while their record also clearly points to goals. In the last nine meetings between the two clubs alone, there have always been at least three goals.
For over 2.5 goals, there are betting odds of 1.90 available for Villarreal against Alaves, which we play at Bet365 with five units.
