Monday 21/04/2014, 21:00, Spain Primera Division, Round 34, Malaga vs Villarreal

Malaga vs Villarreal Betting Preview

There are only five rounds left in the Spanish first division and a handful of teams are still competing for a Europa League place. For the time being Sevilla is in the driver's seat and they still have a chance to play in the Champions League next season, while Villarreal and Real Sociedad are left to compete for the 6th place. That's why it is of critical importance for the visiting team to collect all three points tonight at Malaga, against a complacent team.

Malaga vs Villarreal Betting Odds

At Bet365

Malaga 2.80, Draw 3.25, Villarreal 2.50

Malaga vs Villarreal Betting Tips

No team in Primera Division could possibly serve as a better example of how money can make and break a squad as Malaga does. Three years ago when money was not of the essence, they were competing for the Champions League places and participated twice in the most important European competition. Now they stand no chance of playing in Europa League and even winning consecutive games is difficult.

Malaga won back-to-back games in the last day of March and the first week of April, but they couldn't build on those victories and create a winning streak. The injury list got longer and now there are six players fit to play, which will aggravate their defensive woes. Santa Cruz and Hamdaoui are fit to play and they're expected to pair up in the offense, this by the fact that they scored few goals recently.

The visitors are not at full strength either, with four players missing from the starting formation but the one that they will miss the most is Uche. This is the striker who scored the most goals for Villarreal this season and without him, the visitors will have a harder time penetrating Malaga defense.

The hosts are hardly a great defensive team, but the 4-4-2 starting formation that coach Schuster frequently turns into one with six defenders. With so little left to play for in the remaining rounds, Malaga will be more than happy to deny Villarreal a victory on the road and will be less concerned about scoring.

Key Facts

• The two teams have a perfect record, with seven victories, seven draws and just as many defeats.
• With Uche absent dos Santos and Perbet are expected to pair upfront for Villarreal and the two strikers have scored a combined 20 goals this season.

Malaga vs Villarreal Betting Prediction

Bold punters are advised to back the visiting team at full stakes, but risk-averse ones should check out the odds of 1.85 offered by Bet365 for a draw no bet wager. If the match ends undecided, punters will have their stakes refund it, which is a great way to further reduce the chances of losing a dime betting on Villarreal.

Bet: Villarreal Draw no Bet @ 1.85 with Bet365