La Liga: Can Struggling Yellow Submarine Sink Sevilla?

Sevilla vs Villarreal

Villarreal head into their big La Liga showdown with Sevilla this weekend in desperate need of a victory.

The Yellow Submarine have been struggling in the league over the last few weeks, which has seen them slide to the bottom half of the table.

They must now pay a visit to Sevilla, who are themselves in need of a victory after dropping points in their last couple of matches.

And the La Liga 2021 betting odds fancy the Rojiblancos’ chances of victory as they host the sinking Submarine at the Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.

Talking Points

Sevilla can’t afford more home slip-ups

Sevilla’s hopes of climbing to the top of the La Liga table have taken a hit in recent matches. After being held to a 2-2 draw by lowly Deportivo Alaves at home, they lost 2-1 at Real Madrid despite taking an early lead.

While there’s no shame in losing to Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, they cannot afford to drop points to the likes of Deportivo Alaves if they are to be considered serious title challengers.

To be fair to Sevilla, their draw with Alaves was their first league stumble at home all season. They had won their first five games at the Sanchez Pizjuan and have scored at least two goals in all six home games.

Sevilla are still a bit shorthanded in attack, with star striker Youssef En-Nesyri still out injured. Meanwhile, wingers Erik Lamela and Suso both missed the trip to Madrid, although they could both return by the weekend.

Rafa Mir has stepped up to lead the Sevilla attack in En-Nesyri’s absence. The 24-year-old scored Sevilla’s opener against Real, his second goal in as many games after scoring as a substitute in their crucial 2-0 win at home against Wolfsburg in the Champions League.

Lucas Ocampos is also back to the form he showed in his first season at Sevilla. The Argentine is on quite a hot streak at the moment, with three goals and two assists in his last six games.

And on the other end of the pitch, the Sevilla defence is still among the best in the league. The Rojiblancos have conceded just 11 goals in their first 14 games, which is tied for the second-best defensive record in the league.

Villarreal get star striker back

Villarreal are in a real slump at the moment. Unai Emery’s side suffered a 3-1 defeat at home against Barcelona last time out, their fourth defeat in their last seven games. They also lost at home to Manchester United last time out in the Champions League. Their recent skid has seen the Yellow Submarine sink to 12th in the La Liga standings.

The absence of star striker Gerard Moreno for the last month due to a hamstring problem has certainly been a huge factor in the Yellow Submarine’s slide. Paco Alcacer has failed to pick up the slack, while newcomer Arnaut Danjuma – who made a sizzling hot start to his La Liga career with five goals in his first six La Liga appearances – has cooled off.

But the good news for Villarreal is that Moreno finally made his return in their midweek Copa del Rey clash against Victoria, and both he and Alcacer scored as Villarreal ran out emphatic 8-0 winners.

Moreno may not be ready to start just yet, but having him back as an option off the bench against Sevilla will be a big boost for Unai Emery as he looks to arrest this poor run of La Liga 2021 results, particularly away from home.

Villarreal are still winless away from home this La Liga season, with five draws and two defeats. Although, it should be noted that they held both Atletico and Real Madrid to draws.

History

Sevilla and Villarreal have been among the top sides in La Liga over the last few years, so it should come as no surprise that their recent head-to-heads have been quite competitive. Villarreal hold the slight 4-3 edge in terms of victories, while there have been five draws over their last 12 encounters.

The home side won in both of their fixtures last season. Sevilla won 2-0 at home thanks to goals from Ocampos and En-Nesyri. But Villarreal got their revenge by thumping Sevilla 4-0 on the strength of a Carlos Bacca hat-trick.

Betting Tip

	Sevilla vs Villarreal	1X2 Draw @ 3.40
	December 4, 21:00 (GMT+8)

SBOTOP odds have Sevilla installed as 2.00 favourites to beat Villarreal, who are valued at 3.60 odds. Meanwhile, a draw is at 3.40.

Despite their recent downturn in form, it’s unwise to underestimate Villarreal, who still possess a lot of quality. The return of Gerard Moreno to the side should also be a significant boost to their attack.

While it would be a big ask for them to leave the Sanchez Pizjuan with all three points, the Yellow Submarine can still cause Sevilla some problems and pick up a decent point against the Rojiblancos.

 

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