Valencia vs Villarreal

Estadio de Mestalla plays host to a mid-table La Liga encounter between the two struggling sides, Valencia and Villarreal.

The latest edition of ‘Derbi de la Comunitat’ comes at the worst possible moment for Valencia, who take the field winless in seven straight La Liga matches (D3, L4), including a 4-1 thumping at the hands of Real Betis in midweek. Yet, ‘Los Murciélagos’ will call upon fond memories from their recent La Liga H2Hs at home, having defeated Villarreal in each of their last three league meetings at Mestalla. Jose Bordalas’ side netted 2+ goals in all of those three victories, which bodes well with their free-scoring home form this season. Indeed, Valencia have found the net in all five La Liga home matches so far, averaging 1.6 goals per match. Slightly more lethal after half-time, they’ve registered 62.5% of their La Liga home goals scored this term in the second half of play.

On the other hand, Villarreal came from a 3-1 deficit at home to hold Cadiz to a 3-3 draw in midweek and preserve their reputation as the ‘stalemate specialists.’ Indeed, 60% of their La Liga matches this season have ended level (W2, D6, L2), including four of five away from home (L1). Stretching back to the tail-end of the 2020/21 campaign, ‘El Submarino Amarillo’ have won none of their last six La Liga games on hostile turf (D4, L2), their longest winless away run in the competition since February 2019  (9 that time). Villarreal’s underwhelming results on the road have to be pinned on their uneventful attack that has failed to get on the scoresheet in three of their five La Liga trips this term, scoring over 1.5 goals once in the other two.