Villarreal will be bidding to get their top-five challenge back on track when they continue their La Liga campaign with a home fixture against an in-form Espanyol on Sunday afternoon.
The Yellow Submarine are currently sixth in the La Liga table, two points behind fifth-placed Real Betis, while Espanyol occupy 13th, and the Catalan outfit will bring a five-game unbeaten run into the contest.
Match preview
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Villarreal will be determined to bounce back on Sunday afternoon, having suffered a 3-0 defeat to Celta Vigo on Wednesday evening, with the result contributing to them dropping into sixth spot in the table.
Marcelino's side are still in charge when it comes to a top-five position, sitting two points behind fifth-placed Real Betis with a game in hand, but the rate that they are conceding goals this season will be concerning when it comes to their Champions League hopes.
Finding the back of the net has not been an issue, scoring 55 times, which is the fourth-best attacking record in the league, but they have conceded 45, which is the most in the top six.
Villarreal have only lost three times at home in La Liga this season, but they have been forced to share the points on seven occasions, with five home wins relatively low considering their position in the table.
The Yellow Submarine have back-to-back home fixtures against Espanyol and Osasuna before heading to Girona on May 10, and it would be a major blow for the club if they missed the cut in terms of qualification for next season's Champions League.
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Espanyol, meanwhile, will enter the match off the back of a 1-1 draw with Valencia, with that result following three straight home successes over Rayo Vallecano, Celta Vigo and Getafe.
Not too long ago, the Catalan outfit had been in trouble in terms of the relegation zone, but they are now up in 13th spot in the table, boasting a record of 10 wins, nine draws and 13 defeats from 32 matches.
Espanyol have 39 points in La Liga heading into the final straight, which has left them seven points outside of the relegation zone, so there is still some work to do despite their excellent recent form.
Manolo Gonzalez's side have not actually been beaten in the league since the middle of March, while they have lost just once since the start of February, so it has been an extremely impressive 2025 for the team to date.
Espanyol have struggled in their recent meetings with Villarreal, though, losing their last four against the Yellow Submarine, including a 4-2 defeat in the corresponding match during the 2022-23 campaign.
Team News
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Villarreal will welcome Sergi Cardona back into their squad following a suspension, but Eric Bailly will now serve a ban following his red card in the three-goal loss to Celta last time out.
Alex Baena should be fit after a recent calf problem, but Gerard Moreno, Ilias Akhomach and Raul Albiol are all expected to miss out once again.
Yeremy Pino was substituted in the first half of the clash with Celta, but the change was tactical after Bailly's red card, so there are no fitness concerns surrounding the Spaniard, who is again set to be in the XI.
Ayoze Perez and Juan Foyth, meanwhile, are both expected to earn recalls to the starting side.
As for Espanyol, Brian Olivan and Jose Gragera are still on the sidelines through injury, while Sergi Gomez remains a doubt, but the visitors have no fresh fitness concerns for the contest.
There is currently a host of speculation surrounding the future of goalkeeper Joan Garcia, with Real Madrid, Arsenal and Manchester United all said to be keen, and the Spaniard will again line up between the sticks.
Javi Puado and Roberto Fernandez have been standout attackers for Espanyol during their excellent run of form, meanwhile, and the pair will continue in the final third of the field on Sunday afternoon.
Villarreal possible starting lineup:
Luiz Junior; Femenia, Foyth, Kambwala, S Cardona; Pino, Comesana, Gueye, Baena; Perez, Barry
Espanyol possible starting lineup:
J Garcia; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero; Gonzalez, Lozano; Carreras, Exposito, Puado; Fernandez
We say: Villarreal 1-1 Espanyol
This is a really tough match to call, as Espanyol have developed into an excellent team in recent months; Villarreal have home advantage and need to win to return to fifth spot, but we are expecting the points to be shared in La Liga's only match of the weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
