Monday’s La Liga offering sees one of the division’s most in-form teams entertain a side chasing Champions League football for next season.
Upwardly-mobile Villarreal welcome inconsistent Atletico Madrid to El Madrigal, with the hosts trailing the visitors by 17 points in the standings.
If you’re looking for stats, trends and analysis, we’ve got you covered. Continue reading to find out what our AI algorithm predicts for Monday’s clash.
Vuelta al trabajo con ganas de @LaLiga 🔥 pic.twitter.com/APFXqb1eUI— Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) March 26, 2024
Vuelta al trabajo con ganas de @LaLiga 🔥 pic.twitter.com/APFXqb1eUI
Villarreal claimed a 1-0 victory over Valencia before the international break, courtesy of a second-half strike from Jorge Cuenca.
Marcelino’s men have now won each of their last four La Liga matches, scoring an impressive 12 goals in the process (3 goals per game).
Better still, Villarreal have avoided defeat in each of their previous nine league games, notching five wins, four draws and a couple of clean sheets for good measure.
That said, Marcelino’s side have remained inconsistent at El Madrigal this season, recording five wins, four draws and six losses at home in the league.
As for Atletico Madrid, they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Barcelona in their previous La Liga outing, with Nahuel Molina seeing red in second-half stoppage time.
Following a 2-0 defeat to Cadiz, Diego Simeone’s men have lost each of their last two league games, conceding five goals while failing to score.
It is also worth noting that Atletico have struggled on the road of late, recording one win, two draws and six defeats in their previous nine away league outings.
Having taken 15 points from a possible 42 on their travels this term, Simeone’s side will likely struggle to leave El Madrigal with all three points.
Head-to-head: Atletico Madrid claimed a 3-1 victory in the reverse fixture, ending a run of four league games without a win against Villarreal.
Given that five of the previous nine La Liga meetings between the Yellow Submarine and Atletico have ended in a draw, we should see another tight game on Monday.
Team news: Villarreal are currently without the injured quintet of Pepe Reina, Raul Albiol, Ramon Terrats, Juan Foyth and Denis Saurez.
As for Atletico Madrid, Nahuel Molina is suspended following his red card last time out, while Mario Hermoso, Thomas Lemar and Vitolo are sidelined through injury.
While Villarreal have continued to climb the table in recent times, Atletico have struggled for consistency and could falter once again.
Forebet’s predictive analytics model expects Villarreal and Atletico Madrid to produce a low-scoring draw at El Madrigal, with both teams netting under 1.5 goals.