Overview
Villarreal is having an impressive season with 17 wins, 4 draws and 7 defeats after 28 rounds in La Liga. They won 55 points and ranked fourth in the standings.
Coach Marcelino's team is currently only 2 points behind Atletico Madrid (third), and 11 points ahead of Real Betis (fifth), thereby taking a great advantage in the race to win a Champions League spot in the 2026-2027 season.
The "yellow submarine" entered this match after a 1-1 draw with Alaves, followed by a 2-1 victory over Elche at home. Home form is Villarreal's big mainstay this season, as they have won 34 points after 14 matches, including 11 wins.
In the first leg, Villarreal defeated Real Sociedad 3-2, while the two teams drew 2-2 last season.
Head-to-head statistics do not favor the away team, as Real Sociedad has only won 15 out of 52 encounters with Villarreal in all competitions. The last time they won at Villarreal's home ground was in December 2023.
The Basque team just had a 3-1 victory over Osasuna, thereby rising to seventh place in the rankings with 38 points. Coach Pellegrino Matarazzo's team is currently only 3 points behind Celta Vigo (sixth), still having a chance to compete for a European cup spot in the final stage of the season.
However, away form is a big problem. Real Sociedad has only won 3 out of 14 away matches in La Liga this season. This is a figure showing that instability needs to be improved soon.
Mikel Oyarzabal continues to be the biggest hope in Real Sociedad's attack. The Spanish striker has scored 5 goals against Villarreal in his career and is expected to continue leading the attack in the upcoming match.
Personnel situation
Villarreal will continue to be without the services of Logan Costa, Pau Cabanes and Juan Foyth due to injury, while Ayoze Perez's ability to play is still uncertain.
In the most recent match against Alaves, Nicolas Pepe was a prominent player and is likely to continue to pair with Georges Mikautadze in attack.
In addition, the "Yellow Submarine" can adjust on the left flank, when Alberto Moleiro is considered to start. If this happens, Alfonso Pedraza is likely to retreat to take on the defensive role.
On the other side, Real Sociedad will not have Benat Turrientes due to suspension after receiving enough yellow cards. In addition, a series of names such as Takefusa Kubo, Alvaro Odriozola, Subjectn Munoz and Inaki Ruperez are absent due to injury.
Yangel Herrera is also not in good physical condition after having to leave the field early in the match against Osasuna. In that context, Luka Sucic is likely to be given the opportunity to start to replace Turrientes in midfield.
Expected lineup:
Luiz Junior, Mourino, Navarro, Marin, Pedraza, Buchanan, Comesana, Gueye, Moleiro, Pepe, Mikautadze.
Real Sociedad: Remiro, Aramburu, Zubeldia, Caleta-Car, Gomez, Barrenetxea, Mendez, Sucic, Soler, Guedes, Oyarzabal.
The match between Villarreal and Real Sociedad takes place at 3:00 AM on March 21st (Vietnam time).
