Villarreal eye victory in trip to face Valladolid.

2024-10-20

In a clash of contrasting fortunes, Real Valladolid aim to escape the relegation zone with a rare home victory as they host high-flying Villarreal, who seek to maintain their impressive away form and strengthen their position near the top of the table.

Real Valladolid

Valladolid ended an eight-game winless streak in the league with a dramatic 3-2 victory against Alavés last Friday. Falling behind just six minutes into the game, Valladolid was able to bounce back with penalties from Mamadou Sylla and Selim Amallah, followed by Anuar Mohamed Tuhami’s decisive strike.

Despite the late scare from Alavés, the win was crucial according to Paulo Pezzolano, who noted his team's ability to adapt and find balance. However, the White and Violets still find themselves in the bottom three, currently placed 18th, and are eager to secure all three points against Villarreal this weekend.

Valladolid can draw confidence from their recent victory over Villarreal, but history isn't entirely on their side, as they haven’t won a home game against this opponent in their last four La Liga meetings. Pezzolano is likely to retain the successful 4-4-2 formation from the Alavés match, keeping Sylla and Amallah in the attacking lineup.

Villarreal

Meanwhile, Villarreal are coming off a disappointing 1-1 home draw against Getafe last weekend. The Yellow Submarine took the lead through Santi Comesaña just before the halftime break.

However, a controversial decision by referee Figueroa Vázquez cost Marcelino’s men the win, as they conceded from the spot with three minutes left on the clock. “That penalty should not be awarded in football because then there would be ten penalties per match,” Marcelino remarked after the draw, criticising the referee’s decision.

With the draw, Villarreal sit fourth on the league table, two points behind third-placed Atlético Madrid. They will now make the trip to Valladolid, hoping to return as happy travelers.

Buoyed by a dominant record against Valladolid with four wins in their last six La Liga meetings, the visitors will look to take maximum points once again this weekend. Villarreal have also been impressive on the road, winning four of their last seven away games in La Liga, with only league leaders Barcelona taking more points away from home in the competition this season.

A 4—2—3—1 formation could be seen this Saturday, with Thierno Barry in attack. Meanwhile, Ayoze Pérez, the club’s top scorer with six league goals, is in doubt for the game.