Villarreal vs Valencia Betting Tips: Latest odds, team news, preview and predictions

Valencia make the short trip to the Estadio de la Ceramica to face Villarreal in the first leg of their Europa League quarter final.

This regional derby pits two teams in contrasting form against one another, with Los Che battling for fourth spot in La Liga and the Yellow Submarine in the relegation zone.

Both sides have important league games this weekend and it will be interesting to see how both managers approach the tie.

Latest odds

The two sides have already met twice this term, playing out a 0-0 draw in Villarreal at the start of the season before Valencia won 3-0 at Mestalla in January.

William Hill offer another win for Marcelino's men at 8/5 (2.60) to claim a first-leg advantage on their travels with Villarreal priced at 7/4 (2.75) to come out on top and the draw at 11/5 (3.20).

Team news

Valencia will be without midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia who is out for the rest of the season. Both Francis Coquelin and Cristiano Piccini have also been out for Los Che but both are pushing for a return on Thursday night, while Carlos Soler is suspended.

Villarreal remain without Bruno Soriano, Manu Trigueros, Javi Fuego and Jaume Costa. 

Preview

Javier Calleja's men remain extremely fragile both defensively and in terms of mentality. The last couple of weeks have seen the Yellow Submarine give up two goal leads against both Celta Vigo and Barcelona in La Liga.

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Valencia for their part saw their 17-match unbeaten run end at the weekend against Rayo Vallecano, but they had more than enough chances to score, including missing a penalty.

Against a defensively weak Villarreal side the visitors should be able to claim at least one important away goal on Thursday evening. 

Tips and predictions

Villarreal's problems this season have largely been in the defensive third with home side conceding far too often.

At the other end of the pitch they have had few issues and have scored in each of their last eight matches in all competitions racking up 19 goals in the process.

Given Sevilla have the firepower to make their mark, both teams to score looks a worthy selection at 4/5 (1.80). This bet has paid out in eight of Villarreal's last 10 matches in all competitions and the current odds make it an attractive option once more.

Both teams to score at 4/5 (1.80) for a 2.5pt stake with William Hill William Hill