Marseille and Villarreal will continue their hunt for the Europa League this week, as they collide in the first leg of their round of 16 tie. Both sides will be among the leading contenders to win the title this term, but one must fall in this stage.
Europa League Preview
One of the standout ties in the round of 16 of the Europa League will take place on Thursday, as Villarreal travel to France to take on Marseille. The French side will have home advantage for this first clash between the sides, as they look to take a first leg advantage into the second leg. Marseille finished second in Group B in the opening round after winning three of their six matches.
Marseille were the leading scorers in that group, but they also allowed ten goals. The French side confirmed their spot in this stage of the competition in the playoff round after landing a 3-1 win in their second leg against Shakhtar Donetsk. Their home record in the competition this season deserves respect after winning each of their last three.
Bet hereVillarreal have been one of the standout teams in the Europa League this term after toping the Group F standings following wins in four of their six matches. They scored nine goals across those matches, and they recorded two victories from their three on the road.
Marcelino will be taking charge of Villarreal in the knockout stage of the Europa League for the first time. The Spanish coach has an excellent record in the competition with Villarreal after losing just once in his last 16 matches. Over that period, Villarreal have recorded eleven wins, with four further matches ending in draws.
Marseille vs Villarreal Head to Head
This will be the first time that these sides have collided in a competitive fixture. Marseille will be coming up against a Spanish side for the first time since losing against Atletico Madrid in the 2018 Europa League final. Villarreal have recorded two wins against French sides in the Europa League this season.
Marseille vs Villarreal Prediction
We expect this to be an interesting showdown between these two clubs, with both holding interesting claims in terms of a victory. However, Villarreal’s astounding record in the competition could be hard to overlook, which means that the narrow preference is for an away victory on Thursday.
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