Villarreal vs Girona prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2023-09-26 17:00.
A hard-fought 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano over the weekend saw Villarreal make it back-to-back La Liga (LL) outings without defeat (W1), but there’s still much more improvement needed if European qualification is the aim again this season. A surprise 2-0 loss to Greek outfit Panathinaikos in the Europa League in between those outings saw new manager JosĂ© Rojo MartĂn state that his side “can’t be so soft in football”, something perhaps taken a bit too literally by defender Alberto Moreno who was sent off against Vallecano.
A return to El Madrigal might make MartĂn a little happier at least, given that Villarreal have won six of their last ten LL outings here (D1, L3). That included a 2-1 victory over lowly Almeria in their last home match thanks to a 90th-minute winner, whilst their overall run of five straight H2H victories against Girona should offer some additional inspiration.
What a start to the season it’s been for visiting Girona, whose entertaining 5-3 victory over Mallorca on Saturday saw them jump Real Madrid into second spot in LL ahead of this midweek matchday. Their early LL success has been largely influenced by their insatiable appetite in front of goal as they've netted 16 times already – the joint-most of any side after gameweek six.
Playing an exciting brand of football, last season the away side missed out on European qualification by just four points, which led to manager MĂchel Sánchez being rewarded with a contract extension to 2026. Girona’s start to the season has justified that decision and more success on the road here could rely on the free-scoring style of play he’s implemented, especially as Girona haven’t kept a LL clean sheet on the road in their last six road trips, but do still hold a strong record in that time (W2, D3, L1).
Players to watch: After bagging the opener last time out, Villarreal’s Alexander Sorloth has four goals in his last four LL appearances, three of which have come before half time. Similarly, Girona’s David López has netted in both of his prior two LL outings and also struck in the last H2H.
Hot stat: Just one of the last seven H2Hs witnessed both teams score.