Villarreal vs Espanyol Prediction: Yellow Submarine surging towards the top four

Villarreal's four wins in an unbeaten run of six games means another victory over Espanyol on Monday (20:00, LaLiga TV) will see them move to a point shy of fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao in La Liga. They most recently beat Rayo Vallecano, while Espanyol also won 1-0 last time out, away at Alaves. 

Los Periquitos' streak of a single defeat in seven has improved their relegation hopes, but that success at the Mendizorroza was their first on the road this term and they could come unstuck on their trip to the Estadio de la Ceramica. 

Villarreal vs Espanyol Odds

Villarreal are 2/5 to win on Monday, with the draw 18/5 and Espanyol 7/1 to grab just their second road victory of the campaign. 

Football Odds

Team News

Villarreal will be without Gerard Moreno (foot) and Ilias Akhomach (knee), while Kiko Femenia faces a fitness test on a back issue. 

Marcelino may stick with the side that won at Rayo, while Fernando Pacheco (thigh) and Jose Gragera (thigh) are out for Espanyol. 

Their player to watch is forward Roberto Fernandez, who has scored twice in six outings since joining Manolo Gonzalez's side on loan from Braga. 

Villarreal to win and both teams to score @ 2/1

Villarreal might be chasing a Champions League place, but they need to improve their home form to achieve their goal. They have won just five times at the Ceramica, drawing on five other occasions and losing the other two. 

With a victory on Monday, they can move to 47 points, one shy of Athletic, who visit in April, and it looks like a real chance against an improving but unreliable Espanyol. 

However, El Submarino Amarillo have kept only one clean sheet in their last six at home - and just two all season - making them vulnerable against Gonzalez's visitors. 

Villarreal's 35 conceded is the worst of the top six and inferior to bottom-half sides Osasuna and Getafe. 

Still, they are superior to Espanyol, who they beat 2-1 earlier in the season and they should have enough to record a sixth home victory of the campaign.

Ayoze Perez anytime goalscorer @ 6/5

Perez was again the hero in Vallecas and is more than proving himself to be an adequate replacement for Alexander Sorloth after the Norwegian joined Atletico Madrid last summer. 

He might be 31, but the former Newcastle and Leicester forward is improving with age and has relished the opportunity to lead the line. 

Perez has always been a player who has benefitted from having a proverbial arm around his shoulder and Marcelino knows how to manage him. 

With 11 goals from 18 La Liga appearances, including a brace in the reverse fixture, backing the four-cap Spain star to score again looks like a reliable punt.

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