Villarreal vs Espanyol Prediction: Yellow Submarine to get back on course

Monday night La Liga action comes from La Ceremica Stadium as Villarreal host Espanyol (20:00 GMT, Premier Sports 1). Both teams are going through dips in form coming into this clash. The hosts are winless in three games, while the visitors are on a run of five matches without victory.

Read on for my Villarreal vs Espanyol predictions, accompanied by the latest match odds and team news.

Team News

Logan Costa, Pau Cabanes (both cruciate ligament tears), Willy Kambwala (ligament) and Juan Foyth (Achilles) are all absent for Villarreal due to injury. Ayoze Perez, Alfon Gonzalez and Thomas Partey face late fitness tests to feature but remain doubts at this stage.

Alfonso Pedraza is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

Gerard Moreno will continue in attack after bagging a brace in the 2-2 draw at Osasuna on January 31. He is now up to seven league goals for the season, one behind the Yellow Submarine's leading scorer Alberto Moleiro.

Football Odds

For Espanyol, they are missing Javi Puado due to a cruciate ligament issue, but there are no other fresh injury concerns for the visitors to deal with.

Boss Manolo Gonzalez cannot call upon Ramon Terrats and Carlos Romero as they are unable to face their parent club.

Today's Football Fixtures

Villarreal vs Espanyol Odds

Villarreal are 7/10 (implied probability of 58.8%) to win this clash, and they have the fourth-best home record in the division with eight victories from 11.

Their last outing was a stalemate, and the draw is on offer at 11/4.

Espanyol have won three of their previous five away trips in La Liga and they are 4/1 to come away with the three points.

BTTS - Yes has landed in four of their past six away games in the top flight, and this is priced at 8/11.

Match Result - Villarreal @ 7/10

Both teams are in need of turning around their fortunes after a tough couple of weeks. Given how good Villarreal have been at home this term, I can't look past a home victory as they have only failed to win on three occasions here.

Marcelino Garcia Toral and his players should see this as an excellent opportunity to get back to winning ways as they are up against a side winless in five, having lost four of those fixtures.

By ending a two-game losing streak at Osasuna last time out, the hosts have relieved some of the pressure. Being back on home turf now, I think they can get back on track in their bid to consolidate their place in the top four.

Their visitors are on a three-game losing streak in La Liga and this dent in confidence should play into the Yellow Submarine's hands. Villarreal were also victorious when the sides met in the reverse fixture back in November.

Anytime Goalscorer - Gerard Moreno @ 13/10

Fresh from a brace on his last league appearance, Villarreal's Moreno should be brimming with confidence ahead of Monday's clash with Espanyol given their current struggles.

The forward now has seven league goals for the season and is one shy of equalling teammate Moleiro's tally of eight. The 33-year-old was also on the scoresheet when these two sides met back in November and it was during his best scoring streak of the campaign (four consecutive matches).

I think the veteran is good value to hurt the Parakeets for the second time this season at 13/10.

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