Villarreal vs Copenhagen Prediction

🔊 Can the "Yellow Submarine" secure their first Champions League win against a clear underdog? This coming Wednesday, the Estadio de la Cerámica will host Villarreal and Copenhagen in a crucial clash for Matchday 6 of Europe's premier club competition. Both clubs find themselves outside the playoff spots, but the Spanish side's situation is particularly dire, with just 1 point from 5 matches. Given this context, the upcoming game is almost a last chance to keep any hopes of advancing alive. Bookmakers are giving Villarreal five-to-one odds in their favor.

Head-to-Head

📊 The clubs have no prior head-to-head encounters.

Villarreal Team Overview

🟡 Villarreal are making waves in the national championship, currently in the thick of the title race. The "Yellow Submarine" have strung together an impressive seven-match winning streak in La Liga. However, Marcelino's squad seem unprepared for the rigors of the Champions League, with four losses and one draw in their first five matches. This leaves the Spanish side languishing in 34th place in the standings, only ahead of Kairat Almaty and Ajax. Villarreal's average performance in the current La Liga campaign stands at 0.4 goals scored per match while conceding 2.

🔵 Last weekend, the "Yellow Submarine" faced Getafe and secured a 2-0 victory in another round of La Liga action. Although Getafe managed to limit Villarreal's attacking threat, Marcelino's side capitalized on a couple of key opportunities to seal the positive outcome. In their last Champions League outing, Villarreal were overpowered at Signal Iduna Park, suffering a heavy 0-4 defeat. To be fair, the match's fate was sealed by the 50th minute when Juan Foyth was sent off. The standout player for Villarreal this season has been Alberto Moleiro, who has been pivotal in creating scoring opportunities, contributing to six goals and two assists across all competitions.

Copenhagen Team Overview

⚪ This season hasn't been going well for the reigning champions of Denmark. In the domestic league, the club finds themselves in a disappointing 5th place, trailing the leaders by a hefty 12 points. As for Copenhagen's performance on the international stage, they only secured their first victory in the last round, edging out Almaty's Kairat 3-2. Notably, in this season's Champions League away fixtures, Jacob Neestrup's squad hasn't earned a single point and has yet to find the back of the net.

🔵 Just this past Sunday evening, Copenhagen hosted SønderjyskE at Parken Stadium, suffering a 2-0 defeat in the 18th round of the Danish Superliga. Poor finishing and disorganized positional defense were key factors in their downfall. Over the last four domestic league matches, Copenhagen have lost three times, which is unacceptable for a team vying for the championship. In their previous Champions League outing, Jacob Neestrup's side finally clinched their maiden victory against Kairat (3-2). However, a lapse in concentration towards the end of the match nearly spelled disaster for the Danes.

Latest news

Villarreal

🎤 After their 2-0 victory over Getafe in the last round of La Liga, Marcelino spoke to the media: "Getafe leave very few open spaces, but we played with great reliability. That was the key factor. The goal was also decisive, and later they went down to ten men, which we handled excellently. Accumulating 35 points at this stage of the competition is no easy feat. The second half of the season is always tougher than the first. It's challenging to maintain this pace, but the points we have earned are ours. Finishing third means being the best among the other 17 teams. With values, respect, and humility, we will continue to gather points. Now we are focused solely on winning our Champions League match—we need it. These players deserve it; this team has done enough to win, and I am confident we will achieve it on Wednesday."

❌ Among Villarreal's unavailable players for the upcoming match are Pau Cabanes (knee injury), Logan Costa (knee injury), Willy Kambwala (hamstring injury), and Juan Foyth (suspension). There's also uncertainty about the participation of Gerard Moreno, Santiago Mourinho, Dani Parejo, and Thomas Partey (all due to injuries).

Copenhagen

🎤 Following their victory over Kairat (3-2) in the last round, Jakob Neestrup shared his thoughts on his team's performance: “Tonight, we earned a well-deserved win. For the first 82 minutes, we played really well until they managed to score, and it seemed like they could achieve something. The last ten minutes didn't go as we wanted, and that also matters for our goal difference. We created many chances and dangerous situations until the game's momentum shifted after their first goal. It's a pity we couldn't secure a 3-0 win in terms of goal difference, as we had more opportunities to score. But in a couple of weeks, we'll head to Villarreal to maximize our potential, and then we'll see what happens next.”

❌ Among Copenhagen's unavailable players, it's important to note Oliver Høyer, Rodrigo Uesca, and Magnus Mattsson (all due to injuries). Additionally, Lucas Lerager will be unavailable due to suspension.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The referee for the upcoming clash has been announced — it will be Ivan Kruzliak. Over his last 10 matches, the Slovakian official has averaged 3.9 yellow cards per game. Notably, in 3 out of his last 4 outings, he has shown no more than 4 yellow cards. We suggest considering the following bet: total yellow cards under 4.5.

🟡 Goal Prediction

It's worth noting that both clubs are struggling offensively in this season's Champions League. Copenhagen averages about 1.4 goals per game, while the "Yellow Submarine" manages just 0.4. This matchup is crucial for both sides in terms of future prospects. Therefore, expecting a goal fest would be naive. Our editorial choice is total goals under 3.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Let's look at the average number of corners in matches involving each team in the current Champions League campaign: Villarreal averages 5.4, while Copenhagen averages 9. In 8 of Villarreal's last 9 games, there have been no more than 10 corner kicks. Thus, it's reasonable to go with the following outcome: total corners under 10.5.

When considering the key betting odds, it's crucial to factor in Copenhagen's dismal away form. Meanwhile, the "Yellow Submarine" are eager for victories in the Champions League and consistently impressive at the Estadio de la Cerámica. We believe that home advantage, along with individual player skills, will be decisive in determining the winner. We predict a final score of 2-0. The main bet is Villarreal to win with a -1 handicap.