Prediction: Sevilla vs Villarreal

Verdict: Draw

Best odds: 5/2

Bookmaker: Betfair

Sevilla and Villarreal will meet at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Friday evening, both aiming to secure their first victory of the 2024/25 La Liga season after opening with 2-2 draws.

Sevilla shared the spoils with Las Palmas, while Villarreal held Atletico Madrid to a draw in their first outing at Estadio de la Ceramica. This upcoming encounter promises to be an intriguing affair as both sides look to build momentum early in the campaign.

Sevilla

Garcia Pimienta’s tenure as Sevilla head coach got off to an eventful start with a 2-2 draw against Las Palmas last Friday. Despite taking the lead twice in Gran Canaria – first through Erik Lamela and later through Juanlu Sanchez – Sevilla were unable to secure all three points as Sandro Ramirez equalized for the hosts in the 71st minute.

After finishing 14th in La Liga last season, Sevilla experienced their worst top-flight campaign since their relegation in 2000. As a result, significant improvements are expected this term. The club has been active in the transfer market, bringing in seven new players, including Saul Niguez on loan from Atletico Madrid and Kelechi Iheanacho to bolster their attacking options.

While Sevilla have only won one of their last five La Liga meetings with Villarreal, the teams drew 1-1 in this fixture last season. With aspirations to return to the Champions League by securing a top-four finish, Sevilla will need to demonstrate that their current squad has the quality and depth to compete at that level.

Team News

Sevilla will once again be without Suso and new signing Albert Sambi Lokonga due to injury for their upcoming clash against Villarreal. However, the team is otherwise in good shape heading into their second match of the new campaign.

Head coach Garcia Pimienta will have the option to hand a debut to Saul Niguez, who was unavailable due to suspension in the opener. Saul could replace Dodi Lukebakio in the starting lineup. Despite this potential change, most of the players who started against Las Palmas are expected to keep their places.

Juanlu Sanchez is likely to feature again in an attacking role after his impressive display in the opener. Up front, Isaac Romero, who managed four league goals in 14 appearances last season, should continue to lead the line.

Villarreal

Villarreal twice took the lead in their opening La Liga match against Atletico Madrid on Monday evening. Arnaut Danjuma put the Yellow Submarine ahead in the 18th minute, and an own goal from Koke restored their advantage after Marcos Llorente had briefly equalized for Atletico. However, former Villarreal striker Alexander Sorloth leveled the match at 2-2 just before halftime, and despite both teams pushing for a winner, no further goals were scored, resulting in a draw at Estadio de la Ceramica.

Villarreal will view their eighth-place finish in La Liga last season as a disappointment, as it marked only the second time they failed to finish in the top seven since earning promotion back to the top flight in 2013/14. Determined to improve, the club has made seven signings this summer, including goalkeeper Luiz Junior from Famalicao, along with Willy Kambwala, Ayoze Perez, and Nicolas Pepe.

However, Villarreal have lost key players as well. Alexander Sorloth, who was vital last season with 26 goals in all competitions, has left, and goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen has joined Chelsea.

Team News

Villarreal’s new signing Luiz Junior is expected to make his debut as the starting goalkeeper, replacing Diego Conde for Friday’s match against Sevilla. Despite the change in goal, the rest of the lineup is likely to remain the same as the one that drew with Atletico Madrid. This means Yeremy Pino and Alex Baena are set to occupy the wide positions, while Arnaut Danjuma could once again lead the line alongside Gerard Moreno.

Danjuma, who scored in the draw against Atletico, will aim to continue his good form at Villarreal after recent loan spells in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur and Everton.

Villarreal will still be without Denis Suarez, Juan Foyth, and Alfonso Pedraza, all of whom missed the season opener against Atletico and are not expected to be available for selection on Friday.

Conclusion

The corresponding fixture last season ended in a 1-1 draw, and a similar result could be on the cards this time around. Both Sevilla and Villarreal possess quality in attack and will believe they can break through the other’s defence.

However, with both teams likely to keep things tight, a closely contested match could well end with the points being shared once again.

Verdict: Draw

Best odds: 5/2

Bookmaker: Betfair