Villarreal will hope to move to within one point of Atletico Madrid this weekend as they try to bring Diego Simeone’s side back down to earth in La Liga on Sunday.
The Yellow Submarine were eliminated from the Copa del Rey in midweek, but they have looked menacing under coach Unai Emery in the league.
Atleti can leapfrog Real Betis with a victory, providing the Andalusians fail to win at Rayo Vallecano in Sunday’s opening La Liga fixture.
Sevilla host Getafe, while Alaves welcome Athletic Bilbao to town in some of the day’s other matches in the Spanish top-flight.
Simeone’s Troops Still to Prove Their Worth
Reigning La Liga champions Atletico Madrid went into the Christmas break in dismal form, losing their final three games in December.
They have shown signs of resilience since the turn of the New Year, beating Vallecano 2-0 in the league before overcoming Rayo Majadahonda in the Copa del Rey.
Simeone’s men have lost three in a row on their travels though, while Villarreal have won four in five at home.
Villarreal have not beaten Atletico in any of their last seven league fixtures, but the home/draw double chance looks the way to go at 1/2.
Betis Ready to Get Back on Track
Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis went into the Christmas break on the back of a 3-2 defeat to Athletic Bilbao and they have now lost successive league matches, with Celta Vigo also getting the better of them last Sunday.
That 2-0 defeat means they can potentially be overtaken by Atletico on Sunday, but Betis have the advantage of kicking off first.
Rayo are enjoying an incredible campaign, with Andoni Iraola’s side unbeaten in nine at home.
A draw looks good value at 5/2 this weekend, with Rayo without a victory against Betis in their previous five battles.
Bilbao to Punish Struggling Alaves
Athletic Bilbao can win their third game in succession in all competitions this weekend as they travel to Alaves on Sunday.
Bilbao are still in the race for the top six, while Alaves are in the bottom three after failing to win any of their last seven La Liga matches.
Away from the San Mames, Marcelino’s men have been very consistent – Bilbao have only lost once on the road all season, with Real Madrid the only team to get the better of them.
Bilbao won the first meeting between the pair this term 1-0 at home, and they are 21/20 to complete the league double over their struggling opponents on Sunday.
*All odds correct at time of writing