Villarreal Eager to Extend Superb Run

Cadiz vs Villarreal

After spending 70 minutes of the match defending and holding off Juventus’ attacks, which got less potent as the match went on, Villarreal reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League by beating the Old Lady 4-1 on aggregate. They are now back in domestic action, traveling to play relegation-threatened Cadiz on Sunday.

They enter this clash as -125 favorites on the three-way moneyline according to the latest Soccer odds. They won three of their last four La Liga games, sitting seventh in the standings with 45 points picked up in 28 games. They are now six points behind the Champions League spots and four points behind the European League positions. They have two possibilities to book their UCL ticket for next season: Go all the way and win the trophy this term or to finish in the top four. That’s why they can’t afford to drop points against a poor side like Cadiz.

Cadiz is currently in 18th place in the La Liga standings and could potentially face a difficult relegation battle in the coming months. The home side pulled off a crucial 2-0 victory against a strong Rayo Vallecano outfit two weeks ago but returned to losing ways last weekend, dropping all three points in the 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid.

Cadiz will be without Fede and Ivan Alejo, both injured. Alvaro Negredo and Ruben Alcaraz have also since reported issues and are likely to miss out. Their absence could see the likes of Lucas Perez, Alex, Jens Jonsson and Ruben Sobrino step in for the hosts. Villarreal has finally welcomed its talisman and best player, Gerard Moreno, back. He played 17 minutes in the 3-0 win against Juventus, scoring the first goal for his team. He’s expected to start against Cadiz and also contribute on the scoreboard.

The hosts managed to keep Villarreal to a 3-3 draw in the reverse fixture, but Unai Emery’s squad improved heavily since that result, being one of the most consistent teams in the Spanish top-flight league in the last two months. That’s why we will include them in our soccer picks and parlays.

Pick: Villarreal (-125)

Elche vs Valencia

Valencia has huge ups and downs and they will probably continue. Lately, they managed to come together as a team and understand what their manager wants from them. Having Goncalo Guedes, Max Gomez and Marcos Andre leading the attacking line makes us wonder why they are sitting so low in the standings. On top of that, they have a negative goal difference with 41 goals scored and 43 conceded in 28 games. It tells us how leaky their defense is and how much they are struggling to keep clean sheets. Despite their three-match unbeaten run, you should avoid backing them if you’re betting online. They’ve won just four in 14 away games, conceding 25 goals in the process, and they are playing against an unpredictable Elche team.

The hosts are strong on home soil and have pulled off some great upsets this season. They are eight points above the drop zone and we expect them to stay in the top-flight league for at least one more season. They failed to beat Valencia on the road in the reverse fixture, but they contributed to the scoreboard in that 2-1 defeat. We expect them to make it very tough for Valencia and once again find the back of the net. We expect a high-scoring affair so we recommend you focus on the goals market and avoid backing one of the two teams to win this clash.

Pick: Over 2½ goals (+120)