La Liga Preview: Villarreal Needs to Rely on Defense to Secure a Positive Result; Recent Encounters Favored Espanyol

On September 27 at 1:00 AM, the 7th round of the 2024-25 La Liga season will see Espanyol host Villarreal. Both teams suffered heavy defeats in their previous league matches, with Espanyol losing to reigning champions Real Madrid and Villarreal falling to Barcelona. As they meet this round, neither team wants to suffer consecutive losses.

In the first six rounds of the league, Villarreal has three wins, two draws, and one loss, accumulating 11 points to rank 6th. In the last La Liga match, Villarreal suffered a 1-5 home defeat against Barcelona, marking their first loss of the new season. In terms of tactical style, Villarreal is a team that is strong in attack but weak in defense. So far this season, Villarreal averages 2 goals per game, making them the fourth-highest scoring team in the league; however, they concede an average of 2.17 goals per game, one of the highest in the league, and have yet to keep a clean sheet. For Villarreal, whether they can build their game around solid defense is crucial.

Villarreal is traveling away to challenge Espanyol this time. However, it is worth noting that only four teams remain unbeaten away from home in La Liga, apart from the Madrid duo and Barcelona, the other being Villarreal with two wins and one draw away. Perez, who joined Villarreal this year, has been in excellent form recently, scoring in three consecutive games from the 4th to the 6th round of the league, becoming the team’s top striker.

In terms of historical encounters, the two sides have met frequently. In the last 30 meetings, Villarreal has 12 wins, 13 draws, and 5 losses, holding a clear advantage. In the last three encounters, Villarreal defeated Espanyol 5-1, 1-0, and 4-2, winning three times consecutively.

Espanyol has two wins, one draw, and three losses in the first six rounds of the league, accumulating 7 points and ranking 14th. At the start of the season, Espanyol suffered two consecutive losses but quickly regained form, securing one draw and two wins from the 3rd to the 5th round of the league. However, in the last La Liga match, Espanyol lost 1-4 to Real Madrid. One noteworthy point is that Espanyol is a slow-starting team and has never led at halftime so far this season.

Espanyol is playing at home this time, and there is a significant difference between their home and away records. Currently, Espanyol has a home record of two wins and one loss, with a home win rate of 67%; in contrast, their away record is one draw and two losses. Espanyol’s offensive ability is not outstanding, averaging just one goal per game. The two victories Espanyol secured were thanks to the brilliance of their forwards. In the 3-2 victory over Alaves, Puado scored a hat-trick; in the 2-1 win against Rayo Vallecano, Willis scored the winning goal in stoppage time.

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