After beating Osasuna last weekend, Villarreal aim to return to the 3rd place in the standings with yet another home win. Real Sociedad, on the other hand, ended the four-match losing run as they hammered Getafe away and they will try to bring at least one point from El Madrigal.

Cazorla and Marchena return

Villarreal have established themselves as a real top 4 side over the last few years, while they are also widely known as the team that play the most attractive football in La Liga, obviously if we don’t count mighty Barca. The Yellow Submarine are doing pretty well at the moment and they look destined for another top 4 finish, although they are set to fight with Valencia for the place that lead directly to Champions League group stages. Boss Juan Carlos Garrido decided to sacrifice team’s Copa del Rey campaign, thus proving La Liga is their main priority this season. Following the convincing victory over Osasuna, Villarreal are expected to continue the remarkable home run that saw them win 15 and draw just 2 home games this season.

Key players Santi Cazorla and Carlos Marchena return to the side after recovering from injuries, but Senna, Angel, Nilmar and Juan Carlos remain sidelined.

What a way to end the losing run!

Real Sociedad started the season with home victory over Villarreal, proving they have the quality to survive in La Liga, although they have had some problems along the way. Martin Lasarte’s team proved to be pretty inconsistent, although they picked up enough points not to worry about the relegation race, mostly by beating teams below them in the standings, which is the ultimate recipe for survival. Apart from the home victories over Villarreal and Espanyol, Real Sociedad have lost every single game against a top 7 opponent this term, so it is perfectly clear they lack the quality to match the best sides in the league. The Anoeta outfit ended the four-match losing run with a convincing victory over Getafe, but there is absolutely no way they’ll be able to do something similar against Villarreal.

David Zurutuza is suspended for this clash, while Mikel Gonzalez, Carlos Martinez and Antoine Griezmann are all doubtful and Diego Irfan remains sidelined.

Verdict

Everything suggests Villarreal will continue their impressive home run, especially as Santi Cazorla and Carlos Marchena return to the side. Real Sociedad are doing pretty well against the bottom table teams, but they obviously don’t have enough in them to stop Villarreal from winning this game.

Our prediction: Home win

Odds: 1.57 (4/7)

Bookmaker: Paddy Power