Valladolid vs Villarreal Predictions

• Real Valladolid were beaten just three times at home last season
• Villarreal finished last season with a run of two wins in seven games
• Villarreal have lost just two of the last 11 meetings between the two

Can Real start with a bang?

Real Valladolid are back in La Liga after a one year absence, and they will be desperate to carry forward last season’s form from the Spanish Segunda, when they won their last four games and lost just one of the last ten.

Pacheta’s side have had a decent pre-season, drawing half of their six friendlies 0-0 and winning the other three.

But they do not have the greatest of records against Villarreal, who they have beaten only twice in the last eleven attempts, those victories coming in 2014 and 2018.

Villarreal hoping to kick on

It was a strange season for Villarreal last year, as they reached the Champions League semi-finals before being knocked-out by Liverpool, yet finished seventh in La Liga.

That means they’ll have to settle for the Europa Conference League this year, but their league form must surely improve after finishing 2021/22 with only four wins in their final ten outings.

Unai Emery has made three summer signings, but it doubtful how much any of them will play, with Pepe Reina in particular a back-up option in goal and Jose Luis Morales unlikely to get much game time.

I think this will be a tight opening day fixture and it’s tough to call which way it will go, so a draw is my initial selection, with 1-1 my correct score prediction.

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