In a weekend with a number of attractive looking fixtures, perhaps the most enticing game in La Liga sees Villarreal head to Sevilla for the early kick off on Sunday.
The Yellow Submarine recorded their first league win of the year last Saturday with a comfortable 2-0 home success over struggling Granada and they head to the Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan boasting the division's best defensive record.
Fran Escriba's men have kept eight clean sheets in La Liga this term, conceding just 14 goals in 20 games, yet they visit a side who have guaranteed plenty of goals in their matches so far this term. Sevilla's league fixtures have averaged 3.55 goals, the second highest in the Spanish top flight, just behind Real Madrid, with their last eight games in all competitions seeing 48 goals scored.
GettyIt remains to be seen, therefore, whether Villarreal's defensive solidity will prevail over Sevilla expansive approach, and Betfair offer the Andalusians at 4/6 (1.65) for the win, with Villarreal priced at 4/1 (5.00) and the draw available at 29/10 (3.90).
Sevilla's scoring record in their own stadium is formidable and the Europa League holders have netted in all but one of their last 44 matches at the Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan in all competitions. Indeed, their only blank in that period came in the Spanish Super Cup against Barcelona in August, and Jorge Sampaoli's side can generally be relied upon for goals.
Yet when the biggest sides have come to Seville this season in La Liga, the hosts have not been rampant in front of goal, with Sevilla beating Atletico Madrid 1-0, losing 2-1 to Barcelona and scoring two very late goals to beat Real Madrid 2-1. The point is, against the division's best defences, Sampaoli's side have been restricted and perhaps this means there is value in backing a low scoring game.
Under 2.5 goals is priced at 21/20 (2.05) and Sevilla's only goalless draw of the season was the sides' meeting in Villarreal in August. This selection has paid out in ten of Villarreal's last 15 matches in all competitions, and Escriba's men can keep things tight once more in the early kick-off on Sunday.
