Villarreal vs Elche: Recent Meetings Favour the Hosts

Elche arrive in the relegation zone on Saturday, and recent history between these two sides suggests the trip to Villarreal is a difficult one.

Form: Two sides searching for consistency

Villarreal sit 11th with eight points from eight matches, while Elche are 18th on six points with a goal difference of -6. Villarreal have scored 13 and conceded 13, so their problems have been more about balance than attack. Elche have scored 11 but shipped 17, averaging more than two goals against per game this season.

Elche’s recent results show a little more fight, with a draw and a win among their last five, but Villarreal’s last five produced two wins and a run of defeats that has blunted their momentum.

Head-to-head: Villarreal have the edge

The last five meetings between the sides have been tight, but Villarreal have come out on top in three of them. Their most recent win was a 2-1 home victory in March, and they also won 3-1 at Elche in January. Elche’s two wins came in 2022 and early 2023, the most recent a 3-1 home success.

Villarreal’s ability to win away at Elche, and to beat them at home by a wide margin, has been a recurring theme. The 4-0 win in September 2022 remains the biggest margin in the sample.

Team news: Villarreal without key options

Villarreal face a selection headache. T. Buchanan is ruled out with a muscle injury and N. Pepe is also missing with an eye injury. P. Gulacsi is listed as a doubt for personal reasons.

Our prediction

Villarreal to edge a tight contest at home, with Elche’s defensive problems likely to give them chances. The recent head-to-head pattern favours the hosts, and Elche’s away struggles suggest they will find it hard to keep a clean sheet.

Villarreal 2-1 Elche