Villarreal vs Real Sociedad Odds & Prediction – La Liga Round 21
- Villarreal welcome Real Sociedad to the Estadio de la Ceramica on Saturday
- Both sides are in the hunt for fourth-place Sevilla, who have one game in hand
- Get the full odds, preview, and best bet for this clash below
We’ll have a high-profile fixture on our hands this Saturday, January 30th between Villarreal and Real Sociedad, with kick-off at 3:00 PM EST. With a spot in the Champions League still a realistic possibility for both sides, this meeting could go a long way in the hunt for Europe.
The hosts will be looking to end a dry spell against Sociedad on home soil, having suffered two straight defeats at the Estadio de la Ceramica. They’ve already met once this season, playing to a 1-1 draw in November with each team netting from the spot.
Villarreal vs Real Sociedad La Liga Matchday 21 Odds
| Matchup | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Villarreal vs Real Sociedad | VIL pk (-148) | RSD pk (+123) | VIL +140 | RSD +215| DRAW +215 | Ov 2.5 (+110) | Un 2.5 (-136) |
All odds taken Jan 28 at DraftKings
Villarreal Dealing With a Depleted Squad
Unai Emery will have a host of injuries within the team for Saturday’s clash. Gerard Moreno, Mario Gaspar, Vicente Iborra, and Samuel Chukwueze are all out, among several others. The most notable absentee is certainly Moreno, who has been in fine form this term. The Spaniard leads Villarreal with 10 goals to his name in 16 appearances.
Former Barcelona man Paco Alcacer has been in and out of the starting XI this season for Emery, but he will certainly play a more advanced role in the final third this weekend without Moreno leading the attack. Alcacer has bagged five goals in 12 La Liga matches and will be looking to provide some brilliance for his side in this massive tie.
Although the task will be extremely tough, three points for Villarreal here could allow them to move ahead of Sevilla and into a UCL spot if Eibar beat last year’s Europa League winners on Saturday.
El Submarino Amarillo has enjoyed a decent season this point, losing just twice while drawing a league-high 10 times. They also haven’t suffered a defeat at home yet, collecting 20 points in the process. Despite Villarreal’s squad missing countless players, their center-back duo of Pau Torres and Raul Albiol will be intact. They’ve both played a crucial part in their team’s rock-solid backline, conceding just 19 times this term.
Sociedad Looking to Gain Ground
With a victory, Real Sociedad will sit level with Villarreal in fifth spot. If there’s any time for the visitors to take advantage of their injury-ridden oppositions, it would be now. But after getting off to a red-hot start this season and being hailed as possible title contenders, Sociedad has seen their form go down the drain recently.
Imanol Alguacil’s squad have won just once in their last 10 matches. To put that into perspective, they lost just twice in their first 11 appearances earlier in the campaign. But thanks to their strong play to begin the term, Sociedad still has a shot at securing a spot in the Champions League if they can get out of this rut.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhAGj6hlVdU
Alguacil will have a relatively healthy squad compared to their Matchday 21 counterparts. Former Manchester City star David Silva remains sidelined as he’s battled injuries throughout the whole term.
Keep an eye out for Sociedad strike duo Portu and Mikel Oyarzabal. They’ve combined for 13 goals and seven assists, with Oyarzabal leading the side with eight. He’s also scored in two straight appearances. Swede Alexander Isak has also contributed five goals while fluctuating between the starting lineup and as a substitute. Villarreal’s backline will most definitely have their hands full with all three of these talents more than capable of finding the back of the net.
Villarreal vs Real Sociedad Key Stats
| 8-10-2 (5th in La Liga) | Standing | 8-7-5 (6th in La Liga) |
| 28 | Goals Scored | 31 |
| 19 | Goals Conceded | 18 |
| 537.6 (4th in La Liga) | Passes Per Game | 438.9 (8th in La Liga) |
Villarreal vs Real Sociedad Best Bet
Saturday’s clash will surely be an exciting one, but I don’t expect it to be high scoring by any means. Both sides boast strong backlines and even though Real Sociedad has the more consistent attack, I don’t see them scoring any more than one goal. Expect Mikel Oyarzabal to net for the visitors as he continues to solidify himself as one of the most clinical finishers in La Liga. Even with Gerard Moreno out, Villarreal will do just enough to secure a point here.
Pick: 1-1 +500, Mikel Oyarzabal to score +265
Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
