Villarreal are looking to erase a disappointing start to the season. The Yellow Submarine were beaten in their home opener last week in what was the biggest upset in the first week of La Liga play. They had expected to get a win, or at the very least a draw, when they took on Real Sociedad, but instead they were defeated 2-1 in front of their home fans. Now, they must go on the road to face a Sevilla team that is currently tied for first place after a comfortable win in their opener.
Don't miss the Spanish La Liga action from Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium in Sevilla, Spain at 2:15 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 26, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on beIN Sports.
Spanish La Liga Betting at BookMaker.eu
Villarreal +345
Sevilla -133
Draw +282
Over/Under 2.5 and 3
Odds Analysis
Sevilla have played far more matches than any other team in Spain over the last month. That’s because the club finished in seventh in La Liga last year, meaning they had to go through the early rounds of Europa League qualifying. Additionally, they had to play in the Spanish Supercup two weeks ago, putting another early season game on their docket. It was so much that Sevilla had to pull out of the International Champions Cup at the last minute.
Unfortunately for Sevilla, they weren’t able to beat Barcelona for the Spanish Supercup two weeks ago, but they are blazing a trail through the competition in the Europa League. In the second qualifying round Sevilla beat Hungarian side Ujpest by a total of 7-1 on aggregate, and in the third qualifying round, Sevilla knocked off Lithuanian club Zalgiris Vilnius 6-0 on aggregate. They started their La Liga campaign with a bang too, dominating Rayo Vallecano 4-1 last Sunday.
As for Villarreal, defensive mistakes doomed the club in their first match of the season. They got off to a fast start after Gerard Moreno put them ahead 1-0 in the 16th minute, but things fell apart shortly afterwards. Center back Ramiro Funes Mori was at fault for Real Sociedad’s first goal, failing to hit a ball back to his keeper with enough force, and subsequently giving Willian Jose a one-on-one with Sergio Asenjo. His partner, Alvaro Gonzalez Soberon, made the crucial error on the second goal, failing to clear a ball and leaving Asenjo on the hook once more. They were terrible errors that cost the team in a big way.
Injury Report
The lone name on the injury list for Sevilla is forward Carlos Fernandez Luna. He has been beset by injuries over the past two years, and he is out for an indefinite period of time with a meniscus injury.
Meanwhile, Villarreal will be without midfielders Bruno Soriano and Javi Fuego and defender Daniele Bonera in this match. Soriano has yet to return to training due to a knee injury, while Fuego is out for another four weeks with an ankle injury and Bonera is out for a while longer with a leg injury.
Player to Watch
Andre Silva was fantastic in his debut for Sevilla last weekend. Silva never really fit in at AC Milan last season and was sent to Sevilla on a year-long loan last month. He announced his presence with a hat trick against Rayo Vallecano in the opener, scoring more goals than he did all of last year with Milan. The club is hoping that he can be the goal scoring threat they have lacked in the past.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Although Villarreal are more banged up than Sevilla, the rigors of Europa League play might start to become apparent here. Sevilla must travel to the Czech Republic to face Sigma on Thursday, and they won’t be well-rested for this match. That’s why I’ll take Villarreal to pull off the upset despite being on the road.
Spanish La Liga Odds: Villarreal 2, Sevilla 1
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