Levante vs Villarreal Prediction

Wednesday night under the lights in Valencia, and we've got a right old relegation scrap meets top-four chase. Levante are second bottom and looking desperate, while Villarreal are flying high in third but have been leaking goals like a rusty bucket lately. Fancy a flutter? Pull up a stool, mate, and let's chew the fat.

Levante are in the mire, no two ways about it. Nineteenth place with just 18 points from 23 games is proper trouble. But hold your horses before you write them off completely – they've been a tough nut to crack at home recently. Four of their last five at their own gaff have seen them either win or draw, including a cracking 0-0 with Atletico Madrid and a point against Espanyol. They even turned Sevilla over 3-0 on the road not long back. Still, reality check time: they just lost 2-0 to Valencia at home and got thumped 4-2 by Athletic Club. They're scoring just one a game on average and conceding 1.5 – not exactly title-winning numbers, innit?

Now, Villarreal – there's a funny old team for you. Third in the table, chasing the big boys, but their recent form reads like a horror story: six defeats in their last ten. They've been battered 3-0 by Leverkusen, 2-0 by Real Madrid, and even lost to Getafe last time out on the road. Here's the thing though – their away day disasters have mainly come against decent sides. When they played Elche (who are only a couple of places above Levante), they smashed them 3-1 away from home. They create chances (1.4 goals per game) but can't defend for toffee – zero clean sheets in their last ten and shipping 1.8 goals per game on their travels.

The history books make grim reading for Levante fans. Villarreal have won four of the last eight meetings, including a 5-0 and a 5-1 spanking in recent years. The last time they met back in August 2022, Villarreal strolled home 3-1. Levante's only won twice in this fixture, though they did manage a draw the time before last.

Looking at the numbers, Villarreal are massive favourites at 1.80, and rightly so given the 27-point gap between these sides. Levante might be drawing games at home, but they're not beating the quality sides – and Villarreal, for all their recent stumbles, have far too much firepower for a team that's won just four games all season. That 4-1 demolition of Espanyol a week ago showed what they're capable of when they click.

Key Points:

• Levante are 19th with only 4 wins all season, but have drawn 60% of their last 5 home games

• Villarreal are 3rd but have lost 6 of their last 10 matches, including 3 of their last 4 away league games

• Villarreal have kept 0 clean sheets in their last 10 games, conceding 1.8 goals per game away

• Villarreal beat similarly-placed Elche 3-1 away earlier this season

• Historical dominance: Villarreal have won 4 of the last 8 meetings, scoring 16 goals to Levante's 7

Summary:

Look, Villarreal's away form is patchier than a teenager's beard, but they're playing a side that's second bottom and struggling for wins. Levante draw plenty at home, but they don't beat teams of this calibre. At 1.80, the away win is short but fair – Villarreal should have the class to see this off, just like they did against Elche. Back the Yellow Submarine to sail home with the three points.