La Liga Preview: Sevilla Has Home Advantage, Villarreal Without a Win in Five Games

On August 24 at 3:30 AM, the second round of La Liga will see Sevilla host Villarreal at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium.

Both teams have undergone changes during the summer transfer window. Sevilla has changed their coach with Javier García taking over. Key scorer Youssef En-Nesyri has transferred, and players like Lamela and Acuña have left the team. The club has brought in renowned players such as Iheanacho and Saúl. Although Villarreal has not changed their manager, they have made more significant moves, generating €74.5 million from selling more than ten players including Sorlos and Jorgensen, and spending €62 million to bring in more than ten new signings including Costa, Barry, and Ruiz Júnior.

In terms of form, Sevilla drew 2-2 with Las Palmas in the first round of La Liga. Including pre-season games, they have won three, drawn one, and lost one in their last five matches. Villarreal, who have had a greater overhaul, face considerable challenges in gelling the team. They have not won any of their last five games since pre-season, drawing three and losing two. In the first round of La Liga, they drew 2-2 at home against Atlético Madrid, taking the lead twice but being equalized both times. The coach stated that they need some time to resolve issues.

Historically, in the past five years, the two teams have met ten times, each winning three and drawing four, making it a balanced matchup. However, if we look specifically at matches played at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, Sevilla has remained unbeaten in the last four home games against Villarreal, winning three and drawing one. Additionally, Sevilla’s new coach Javier García has a 100% win rate when facing Villarreal in his managerial career, averaging a two-goal margin per game. In contrast, Villarreal’s coach Marcelino has faced Sevilla 23 times in his career, with a record of seven wins, three draws, and thirteen losses.

Regarding player availability, apart from long-term absentee Suso, midfielders Joan Jordán and Luiz Araújo have not been fully involved in training this week and their participation is uncertain. For Villarreal, midfielder Denis Suárez and full-backs Pedraza and Foyth have slight fitness concerns, but it is unclear whether they will play in this match.

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