Villarreal vs Real Oviedo Predictions

• Villarreal and Real Oviedo played out a goalless friendly just two weeks ago
• Three of Villarreal’s last four pre-season games featured fewer than 2.5 goals
• Seven of Oviedo’s last 11 league games featured fewer than 2.5 goals

Oviedo will be up for it on opening night

Villarreal host Real Oviedo at Estadio de la Ceramica this Friday on a historic occasion — the play-off winner’s first LaLiga match in a quarter of a century. For Oviedo, their top-flight return is sprinkled with romance as Santi Cazorla — making his LaLiga debut for his boyhood club — faces Villarreal, the side for whom he made the most appearances.

Salomon Rondon is set to lead the line as Valjko Paunovic’s side look to take something back to Asturias. Oviedo’s pre-season mirrored Villarreal’s with one win, two draws and two defeats, and they will be aware of the need to keep things tight early on.

The Yellow Submarines’ solitary pre-season win came at the Emirates Stadium as they stunned Arsenal 3-2 on the occasion of Viktor Gyokeres’ first start for the Gunners. Livewire striker Karl Etta Eyong was on the scoresheet there as he had been at Elland Road a few days before.

Nothing wrong with Eyong’s form

And with last season’s top scorer Ayoze Perez looking unlikely to feature as he battles for full fitness, the Cameroonian teen could be thrust into the limelight.

Recent history suggests goals could be at a premium here — seven of the last nine meetings between these sides have gone under 2.5 goals, with three finishing scoreless. That includes their most recent clash in Oviedo just two weeks ago, a 0-0 stalemate.

With both teams still finding their rhythm and Villarreal hampered by injuries, this could be another tense, close contest. But Etta Eyong’s current form suggests he could be the man to break the deadlock if a chance comes his way.