Crisis management in the top flight
In some groups, the favourites in this week’s Champions League are already in contention for a place in the last 16. In other pools, things are much tighter. One of them is Group F, in which the Swiss champions Young Boys Bern will compete. The Swiss still have everything in their own hands to make it into the round of 16.
All four teams are still close together in the standings. Manchester United lead the standings with six points. Villarreal and Atalanta Bergamo follow with four points each. The Swiss are bottom of the table, but with their victory over Manchester they already have three points.
A defeat in Spain on Tuesday would be a major setback, though reaching the last 16 would be a sensation for the Bernese anyway. David Wagner’s team, however, will certainly try not to lose sight of third place and the Europa League, even if we would not make any predictions on the Swiss’ survival in the European Cup before kick-off between Villarreal and the Young Boys.
There is also no small indication that there will be a defeat in Villarreal on Tuesday. The Swiss lost the first leg at the Wankdorf Stadium by a clear 1:4 margin, and away from home they have shown themselves to be a supplier of points in the top flight so far. Therefore, it is probably more than a tendency to place a bet on a home victory between Villarreal and the Young Boys.
Villarreal – Statistics & current form
As reigning Europa League champions, the yellow sub’s ambition must be to reach the last 16 in the Champions League. However, coach Unai Emery has excelled in his career as a specialist in Europe’s second division rather than the top flight. Moreover, the Spaniards’ form in recent weeks is very clearly in need of improvement.
Weak at home in the top flight
Villarreal CF have won just one of their last five competitive games and are currently only 13th in La Liga. Unai Emery’s team has lost touch with the top third of the table. Moreover, they have not won at home in the Champions League since 2008. All this does not sound like a good reason to play the odds on a home win between Villarreal and Young Boys.
However, the Swiss champions are an opponent they have to beat if they want to reach the last 16, even though they once again blew their dress rehearsal last weekend, losing 2-0 at Valencia CF. Once again, it became clear that there are problems in the offensive.
This is mainly due to the fact that international Gerard Moreno has been injured for weeks. There is no concrete date for a pain-free comeback and he is not expected to play on Tuesday either. Otherwise, the yellow submarine should have all players on board and that should be enough for a win against Young Boys.
Predicted Villarreal line-up:
Rulli – Estupinan, Torres, Albiol, Aurier – Capoue – Parejo, Coquelin, Danjuma, Pino – Gomez – Coach: Emery
Last matches played by Villarreal:
LaLiga
10/30 2021 – Valencia 2 – 0 Villarreal FC
10/26 2021 – Villarreal FC 3 – 3 Cadiz
10/23 2021 – Athletic Bilbao 2 – 1 Villarreal FC
Champions League Grp. F
10/20 2021 – BSC Young Boys 1 – 4 FC Villarreal
LaLiga
10/17 2021 – Villarreal FC 1 – 2 Osasuna Pamplona
Young Boys – Statistics & current form
For some years now Young Boys have been the measure of all things in Switzerland, taking over from FC Basel, but under David Wagner things are not yet going as one would imagine in the capital. In the Swiss Super League, YBB are in third place after twelve matchdays, five points behind Basel, but admittedly still have a game in hand.
Results crisis at Young Boys
The Swiss have also only managed one win in their last five games, but have lost three times. In the top flight, they have not managed to win a game in ten matches. They have also lost four matches in a row away from home in the Champions League. Therefore, the forecast for the match between Villarreal and Young Boys can only go to a home win.
There has also not been a win against a Spanish club since 1986. The Swiss also made a mess of their dress rehearsal last weekend, losing 3-1 in St. Gallen. The champions were largely without a chance. It was only in the final phase that the team from eastern Switzerland gave the Young Boys the consolation goal with an own goal.
The hospital in the Swiss capital is still extremely well filled. With David von Ballmoos, Mohamed Camara, Cedric Zesiger, Fabian Lustenberger, Esteban Petignat, Jean-Pierre Nsame, Wilfried Kanga and Joel Montero, numerous players are out. In the premier league, the quality of the missing players cannot be compensated for.
Predicted line-up of Young Boys:
Faivre – Garcia, Camara, Lauper, Hefti – Aebischer, Martins Pereira, Moumi Ngamaleu, Fassnacht – Siebatcheu, Elia – Coach: Wagner
Last matches played by Young Boys:
Super League
10/30 2021 – FC St. Gallen 3 – 1 BSC Young Boys
Cup
10/27 2021 – FC Lugano 2 – 1 BSC Young Boys
Super League
10/23 2021 – BSC Young Boys 3 – 2 FC Lausanne-Sport
Champions League Grp. F
10/20 2021 – BSC Young Boys 1 – 4 FC Villarreal
Super League
10/16 2021 – BSC Young Boys 1 – 1 FC Luzern
Villarreal – Young Boys Direct comparison / H2H-balance
Villarreal CF and Young Boys Bern have never crossed paths in European football until this season. Thus, the first leg a fortnight ago in the Swiss capital was the first duel between these two clubs. Therefore, we do not need to philosophise about a direct comparison at this point.
However, the Spaniards celebrated a clear victory in the Wankdorf Stadium. YBB were put in their place with a 4:1 victory. Yeremy Pino and Gerard Moreno had already given them a 2:0 lead at the break. Meschack Elia pulled one back with a quarter of an hour to go, but Alberto Moreno and Samuel Chukwueze put the lid on this game with their goals in the closing stages.
Villarreal – Young Boys Switzerland Tip
The yellow submarine is certainly anything but in calm waters at the moment. Not much is going right in La Liga and it will also be difficult to reach the next round in the Champions League.
Both teams have won only one of their last five matches. The Spaniards are missing Gerard Moreno in particular, who is also unlikely to be involved on Tuesday. We think the Spanish have a better chance of ending the crisis because they simply have more quality in their squad. That’s why we think you’d be better off betting on a home win between Villarreal and Young Boys.
However, the Swiss are also forced to look for the offensive, because a defeat would probably almost mean elimination from the top division. Therefore, although both teams have had problems on the offensive lately, we think that over-goals will fall. We therefore play the betting odds on a home win and more than 2.5 goals between Villarreal and Young Boys.
