Villarreal have lost four of their last five visits to Valencia
The visitors concede 1.94 goals per game on average this term
The hosts have kept five clean sheets in eight home games
Defence to trump Villarreal
On the face of it, there’s little between these two sides heading into Tuesday night’s clash. However, Villarreal have a terrible record against the top 10 with eight defeats from nine clashes. Their defence has clear gaps, as the visitors ship 1.94 goals per game ahead of this trip.
Valencia are a very different side, with their successes built on a solid foundation. They’ve conceded only four goals across their eight home games this term. They’ve kept five clean sheets at their own ground, winning four of those matches. It’s likely their focus here will be on keeping things tight before exploiting Villarreal’s defensive issues.
The hosts have scored 63% of their goals after half-time so a draw at the break before a Valencia win is something to consider. However, the hosts look worth backing to simply take the points, especially having won four of the last five meetings with Villarreal at this ground.
