La Liga, Villarreal Vs. Atletico Madrid: Preview, Prediction, Possible Line-Ups, Betting Tips, And Live Stream
Match Preview
Villarreal hosts Atletico Madrid in the final game of match-day 15 in La Liga as the Yellow Submarines look to leapfrog their opponents in La Liga standings.
Atletico is just two points above Villarreal on the table, so a win in this game will put Villarreal above them.
Diego Simeone’s men are having a great European campaign. Despite the loss against Bayern Munich in the last game, Atletico topped their group in the Champions League. But their position is not the same in La Liga as the Rojiblancos are currently lingering in the fifth place, 12 points behind league leader, Real Madrid.
Atletico has to win the games consistently if they are to challenge for La Liga title this season. However, it seems that the Madrid club has already lost their ground in the league, and the title seems a lost cause.
The news that is hot these days in European football is the future of Atletico Madrid’s mastermind manager Diego Simeone. The Argentine is one of the very best coaches in the world of football, and the rumors of him leaving at the end of this season have put the top European clubs at alert.
Tottenham’s manager Mauricio Pochettino will be targeted by Atletico to become their head coach if Simeone decides to leave, reported by English paper the Mirror.
Team News: Villarreal
Samu Castillejo is out of this game with a hamstring problem, which may see Jonathan Dos Santos start on the right-hand side.
Mateo Musacchio suffered from a hamstring injury on Thursday in the Europa League, and he may not be risked in this game.
Villarreal: Predicted Line-up (4-4-2)
Asenjo – Mario, Alvaro, Ruiz, Costa – dos Santos, Trigueros, Bruno, Soriano – Sansone, Pato
Team News: Atletico Madrid
Left-back Filipe Luis is sidelined due to injury, so youngster Lucas Hernandez is likely to get a start again after impressing against Bayern on Wednesday.
Jose Gimenez should return at the center-back position, with experienced right-back Juanfran coming back from a break in the last game.
Yannick Carrasco and Tiago should feature at the center of the park, while Kevin Gameiro will partner Antoine Griezmann in the attack.
Atletico Madrid: Predicted Line-up (3-4-3)
Oblak – Juanfran, Godin, Gimenez, Hernandez – Gabi, Tiago, Koke, Carrasco – Griezmann, Gameiro
Villarreal vs. Atletico Madrid: Head-to-Head
Total games: 38
Villarreal wins: 16
Atletico Madrid wins: 13
Draws: 9
Villarreal vs. Atletico Madrid: TV Schedule and Channel
In the U.S., the match will be live on beIN SPORTS CONNECT U.S.A., fuboTV, and beIN SPORTS en Espanyol. For other regions, the TV schedule can be found in the link here.
Villarreal vs. Atletico Madrid: Prediction
Atletico Madrid is slightly favorite to win this tie. We go for a difficult Atletico win.
Final Predicted Score. Villarreal 1-2 Atletico Madrid
Villarreal vs. Atletico: Betting Tips and Odds
- Villarreal win: 10/3
- A draw: 23/10
- Atletico win: 19/20
- Under 2.5 goals: 8/11
- Over 2.5 goals: 11/8
- Both teams score: 11/10
- Both teams fail to score: 4/6
The odds were provided by Paddypower.
Key Stats to consider
- Villarreal has seen under 2.5 goals in their last seven games against Atletico in all competitions.
- Villarreal has not scored in their last three matches in La Liga.
- There have been under 2.5 goals scored in Villarreal’s last four games in La Liga.
- Atletico has failed to score in their last two games.
- Atletico has kept clean sheets in four out of their five recent matches.
The Villarreal vs. Atletico Madrid stats were provided by Whoscored.
Villarreal vs. Atletico Madrid: Live Stream
The match can be streamed live online by clicking on this link. The link will be updated just before kick-off.
[Featured Image by Denis Doyle/Getty Images]
