La Liga Week 33 Preview: Villarreal vs Valencia
On April 20 at Villarreal vs Valencia, seventh-placed Villarreal hosts ninth-ranked Valencia in La Ceramica in the latest installment of the Derbi de la Communitas, which is one of the league’s most underrated derbies.
Revenge will be on the minds of the Yellow Submarine, which left the Mestalla empty-handed in their Week 12 match when the home side ran out 2-0 winners.
Apart from the usual bragging rights, those three points are vital for both sides as they made their last push to end their season on a bright note.
Overview of the 2022 Villarreal vs Valencia match
Unai Emery’s men had a seven-point gap between Pepe Bordalas’ side at the close of Week 32.
Domestically, both Villarreal and Valencia had contrasting fortunes in their recent La Liga fixtures, with the latter having better form with their six-match unbeaten run. In contrast, the reigning Europa League holders have won only seven points in their last six matches.
With European football getting out of reach by the week, both clubs are looking at other competitions to keep their hopes alive, with the former returning to the Champions League semifinal and the latter playing for the Copa Del Rey against Real Betis three days after this match.
Stats
Valencia might have the overall lead in this fixture, but it was Villarreal that had the tight edge when it comes to league play.
Despite having scored fewer goals against their rivals when they played in La Liga, Yellow Submarine have the tight edge in 43 previous league ties with 18 wins, one more than Los Che, with eight draws.
Recent form (La Liga)
VILLARREAL
Getafe 1-2 Villarreal
Villarreal 1-1 Athletic Bilbao
Levante 2-0 Villarreal
Cadiz 1-0 Villarreal
Villarreal 1-0 Celta Vigo
VALENCIA
Valencia 1-2 Osasuna
Rayo Vallecano 1-1 Valencia
Valencia 0-0 Cadiz
Elche 0-1 Valencia
Getafe 0-0 Valencia
LaLiga Update Predictions and Tips
The hosting trend might continue in this derby, with Villarreal being favored to win heavily over Valencia.
Unai Emery had a better squad on paper, with the backline of Pau Torres and Raul Albiol complementing the playmaking of former Valencia skipper Dani Parejo to go along with the attacking trio of Gerard Moreno, Arnaut Danjuma, and Boulaye Dia that are expected to feature in the teamsheet
For Pepe Bordalas, it will be a selection headache considering that they have the Copa final in La Cartuja in mind. Goncalo Guedes, Maxi Gomez, and Hugo Duro are looking to play both matches if possible.
- Villarreal to win
- Villarreal to score first – Either Danjuma, Parejo or Moreno
- Over 1.5 and Over 2.5 are preferred
