Osmanlispor vs Villarreal predictions, betting tips & match preview

Villarreal seemed to be in crisis during the summer, as they crashed out of the Champions League and dropped in to the Europa League. They lost manager Marcelino back in August, and they looked to be in massive trouble then. However, they’ve made an excellent start under new boss Fran Escriba. Can he continue that when he takes the Yellow Submarine to Turkey?

Villarreal’s longest journey in this group takes them to Ankara to face Osmanlispor. The Turkish side are clearly the less experienced of the two, but can they cause a shock? Games at the other of Europe are always a tough task for the travelling side, even for some of the biggest clubs in the world. However, the Spaniards have an impressive record this term, one that’s hard to argue with.

Escriba’s side are still unbeaten in La Liga after eight games, which included a trip to Real Madrid. They’ve scored 14 times so far this term, and they’ve conceded just four goals. The Yellow Submarine have shown some incredibly clinical finishing so far, having converted 17% of the chances they’ve had. Their defending has been fantastic, just 4% of the shots they’ve faced have found the net.

Villarreal seem like a team perfectly built for a tough away game like this. They’ve conceded just two on the road in La Liga, they’re conceding 0.5 goals per game. Last term under Marcelino’s reign they were compared with Atletico Madrid for their defensive solidity and resolve against the biggest sides. That’s high praise. Things clearly haven’t changed too much. That does make an away win to nil look tempting at 12/5 with bet365.

The Turkish side didn’t show that much in their last Europa League game, when they lost 2-1 to Zurich. They’re not a side Villarreal should really fear; they’ve managed just 1.14 goals per game in the Super Lig. They face a side who just beat Celta Vigo 5-0; a team who were beaten in the semi-finals last year.

Villarreal should have a lot of joy in the air here, Osmanlispor have lost 53% of their aerial battles in their Europa League games so far. The Spaniards make 77% of their attacks from wide, and they’ve made 29 cross per game in Europe so far. The La Liga side seem to have everything it takes to claim a win here, so we’re backing them to take the points at 11/10 with bet365.