Monday night action in La Liga comes from Villarreal, as two sides in the top half of the standings clash. The hosts will be looking to continue their excellent run of form, while Vallecano will be looking to avoid a third defeat in four matches.
La Liga Preview
Few sides have been in better form over their previous five matches in La Liga than Villarreal. They have claimed four wins from the previous five matches, and that sees them sit fifth in the overall standings. A victory on Monday evening could see them move into the top four, and they will likely be using their strong defensive record to build on a reliable platform.
Villarreal bounced back after a recent draw by claiming victory in their previous fixture. That win was recorded in the most dramatic of fashions against Girona, with Dani Parejo scoring the winning penalty in the tenth minute of injury time. However, few could argue against Villarreal deserving that win, as they bombarded the Girona goal with shots throughout the match.
Vallecano remain in a promising position with over half of the season remaining, as they sit ninth in the La Liga standings. They have won seven of the 18 games that they have played this term, and they have suffered only six defeats. However, two of the losses that have been inflicted have come in their previous three league matches.
The Spanish side will be looking to bounce back to form this weekend, as they were beaten at home in their previous game by Real Sociedad. Vallecano rarely threatened in that fixture, as they managed just two shots on target. But, they have shown throughout the season that it is always hard to rule them out.
Villarreal vs Rayo Vallecano Head to Head
Villarreal has an excellent recent record in this fixture, as they have won their previous three against Vallecano. They are also unbeaten against their rivals on Monday in the last five in all competitions, with the latest win for Vallecano being recorded in April 2016. The most recent meeting saw Villarreal run out 5-1 winners.
Villarreal vs Rayo Vallecano Prediction
I expect this to be another tight fixture in La Liga. However, I would be surprised to see Villarreal held on Monday evening, and a smart choice could be taking them to win 1-0 against Vallecano.
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