La Liga: European Targets For Villarreal and Sevilla

Villarreal vs Sevilla

Unai Emery and Julen Lopetegui are two of the most ambitious coaches in the league and they manage two teams who play some of the best passing football in La Liga. There will be plenty of players with great quality on the ball on show and we’ll take a look at some of the stars we expect to shine.

Emery’s Villarreal come into the game on the back of a dramatic Champions League exit to Liverpool while Sevilla earned three points in a 3-2 win away to Levante last time out.

And they both have a European target now in mind.

Having been a fixture in the top four throughout the campaign, Sevilla want to nail down their Champions League place, while the Yellow Submarine might qualify for the Europa Conference League in seventh and they can rise another place or two if they finish the campaign with a string of victories.

Talking Points 

Parejo can make Villarreal tick

Emery’s Villarreal have been exceptional in the Champions League, beating Juventus and Bayern Munich, and the second leg semi-final tie against Liverpool started with a bang as Boulaye Dia scored for the Yellow Submarine on three minutes and Frances Coquelin wiped out Liverpool’s first leg advantage before the half-time break. But three goals in 12 second half minutes ended Villarreal’s valiant attempt as the Reds ran out 5-2 winners on aggregate.

In their last home game in the league, Villarreal beat Valencia 2-0 and, once again, 33-year-old midfield playmaker Dani Parejo pulled the strings as he has for much of the season.

With six assists in 29 appearances in central midfield, Parejo is the catalyst for much of Villarreal’s attacking play. He is constantly hungry for the ball and uses it well with a passing accuracy of 88-per cent and he’s also sharp in the tackle, winning more midfield duels than he loses.

24-year-old defender Juan Foyth could be an important player too. The Argentine star is a cultured defender with good use of the ball and strong in the tackle, but he is prone to overstepping the line.

And with three yellow cards and a red, the former Spurs centre-back is a regular target for referees as he was in North London.

Ocampos key for Sevilla

Lopetegui’s Sevilla have been in pursuit of Real Madrid for much of the campaign though a recent loss of form has seen them drop to third.

But with second-placed Barcelona facing fifth-placed Real Betis, Sevilla have the chance to leapfrog the Blaugrana should Los Verdiblancos earn a win in the Camp Nou.

The La Liga 2022 highlights are sure to feature the Argentina wide-man Lucas Ocampos who made two assists in Sevilla’s 3-2 win away to Levante. He will come up against his countryman Foyth and that will be a fascinating duel.

With six goals and four assists from his 27 appearances, Ocampos is Sevilla’s most dangerous attacker. But like Foyth, he needs to tread carefully having already picked up seven yellow cards and committed 43 fouls – a hefty total for a creative wide-man.

Behind Ocampos and on the other flank sits 36-year-old captain wing-back and club legend Jesus Navas, and he too is a strong creative threat with his raids down the wing, making three assists this season.

He has superb crossing ability having played much of his earlier career in a more advanced position, but now he needs to be aware of his position to avoid being caught out in defence.     

History

There have been some great tussles between these two sides in recent years, including an all action 2-2 draw in 2020. And over the last 25 years, Los Sevillistas have had the better of the exchanges, winning 24 to Villarreal’s 12 while there have been 13 draws.

Sevilla won the return match 1-0, but in this fixture last season, Villarreal ran out 4-0 winners in a match which put a huge dent in Sevilla’s title hopes as Carlos Bacca scored a hat-trick and Sevilla centre-back Diego Carlos was sent off.

Villarreal’s home record of 10 wins, five draws, and two defeats is a good match for Sevilla’s strong away form of six wins, eight draws, and three defeats.  

Both teams have won just twice in the last six games. But in the case of Villarreal, that sequence does include two matches against the might of Liverpool.

Betting Tip

The pre-match La Liga 2022 odds tell us what a wide open game this is, with the Yellow Submarine favourite at 2.29 while Los Sevilliastas are at 2.97, with the draw slightly further out at SBOTOP odds of 3.11.

I think home advantage gives Villarreal the edge but it will be very tight.  

 

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.