Europa League action takes place in Spain on Wednesday, as the rearranged clash between Villarreal and Maccabi Haida is staged in Group F. The hosts will be looking to claim a vital three points that could see them join Rennes at the top of the group standings.
Europa League Preview
There will be a huge clash in the Europa League on Wednesday, as the rearranged clash between Villarreal and Maccabi Haifa takes place. The pressure will be on the home side, as Villarreal look to land maximum points which would see them join Rennes on 12 points at the top of the standings. Only a victory will keep them in a fight for an automatic spot in the next round of the competition.
Meanwhile, Maccabi Haifa will be looking to upset the odds this week, as they are yet to land a victory in four outings in the Europa League. Their performances to this point mean that they sit bottom of the Group F standings, but a positive result in Spain could see them re-enter the race to finish third in the table.
Villarreal holds the advantage coming into this showdown, as they have lost just once in their 14 group stage fixtures in the Europa League. However, their only defeat over that period was suffered on matchday one against Panathinaikos. But, they haven’t lost more than once in a group stage campaign in the Europa League since 2010-11.
A concerning trend to consider before this fixture on Wednesday is the fact that Maccabi Haifa are winless in their last 20 away matches in European competitions. Over that period, they have suffered defeats in each of their last nine. In fact, their most recent away win in Europe was achieved against Litex Lovech in September 2006.
Villarreal vs Maccabi Haifa Head to Head
Villarreal have suffered just one defeat in six previous matches against clubs from Israel. However, this will be their first showdown against Maccabi Haifa. The visitors haven’t scored a goal in four previous matches against Spanish opposition.
Villarreal vs Maccabi Haifa Prediction
The odds seem to be stacked against Maccabi Haifa this week. We struggle to overlook Villarreal’s impressive record in the group stage of the Europa League, and we fully expect them to claim victory by at least a two-goal margin on Wednesday.
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