Wednesday 24/09/2014, 21:00, Spain Primera Division, Round 5, Eibar vs Villarreal

Eibar vs Villarreal Preview

Villarreal was pit against Barcelona in the opening match and lost by a narrow margin, but since then they earned a point in every single game. They are entitled to hope for at least a point on the road at Eibar, against a team that didn't cause too many headaches in the past. The hosts need to solve their offensive problems, but tonight their priority is to prevent the visitors from scoring early, because they tend to have a hard time coming from behind.

Eibar vs Villarreal Odds

At Unibet

Eibar 3.20, Draw 3.00, Villarreal 2.40

Eibar vs Villarreal Tips

Eibar lost back-to-back games to the reigning champions and Deportivo, but fired back with a victory on the road against Elche. They got lucky to score the opening goal three minutes after the first whistle was blown and doubled their advantage in the final minutes of the first half. Their opponents didn't have the stamina to offset that handicap and so Eibar collected its first points on the road.

The starting formation was a defensive minded one with a single striker, but even though they have home pitch advantage tonight, the hosts won't make any changes. Angel will spearhead the offensive once again despite the fact that he failed to score in his four starts so far. The problem is that manager Garitano doesn't have too many options, as none of his strikers scored so far.

Villarreal is a far more offensive team, but there is a huge difference between the manner they play in front of their fans and on the road. In September they won twice by 4-2 when playing at home and drew both games on the road while scoring a single goal.

Tonight they will be aiming for a straight victory, but they have to secure the three points without their top striker as dos Santos is on the bench, injured. Uche will be given the ball once again but so far his percentage is far from impressive, with a single goal. Vietto has posted better numbers, with two goals in four matches, so it is very likely for him to join the offensive if Villarreal fails to score by half time.

Key Facts

• The visitors have five players injured, including their best striker and three key midfielders.
• The two teams met three times with Eibar as hosts and Villarreal is yet to win a match on the road

Eibar vs Villarreal Prediction

Villarreal is the better team on paper, but the difference between the two competitors is by no means as wide as the odds suggest. Value is with the home team and backing them at 3.20 to prevail is the right thing to do, if you don't mind taking some chances. Odds of 1.65 are a better choice for punters who are more concerned about mitigating the risk.

Bet: Eibar or Draw @ 1.65 with Unibet