Marseille vs Villarreal Prediction & Match Preview

• Marseille scored nine goals in the last two Ligue 1 wins.
• Villarreal notched eight goals in their previous two La Liga victories.
• Marseille are yet to lose on the home patch this season.

After bagging five goals apiece at the weekend, Marseille and Villarreal go head-to-head in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League round-of-16 clash on Thursday evening at Stade Orange Velodrome. Marseille will look to back up an impressive three-win run across competitions. They have bagged twelve goals along the way. The streak includes a 3-1 victory over Ukrainian heavyweights Shakhtar Donetsk in the second leg of the Europa League knockout-round playoffs.

Jean Louis Gasset’s men bagged nine goals past the likes of Montpellier and Clermont in the previous two Ligue 1 games. They moved up top seventh place in the league table as a consequence. Third position is just six points away at the moment.

Villarreal have also shifted their fortunes around after a dismal start to the season in La Liga. El Submarino Amarillo are unbeaten in seven subsequent league outings. They’ve managed four wins along the way, including the 5-3 success against the likes of Barcelona in the Catalan capital.

Recent Meetings

• This will be the first official head-to-head encounter between Marseille and Villarreal.
• The two teams met each other in a couple of friendlies within the last six years.
• Marseille have managed a win and a draw in the process as both games produced goals at both ends.

Marseille vs Villarreal Prediction

Both Marseille and Villarreal have been quite efficient in the final third of late. They have also been fairly easy to break down in recent outings. Marseille thus failed to keep a clean sheet in ten consecutive fixtures in all competitions. Knowing they’ve bagged nine goals in the last two Ligue 1 matches, we fancy them to both score and concede on Thursday night against Villarreal.

As for the Spaniards, each of the previous four matches they played in La Liga provided goals at both ends. El Submarino Amarillo notched eight goals in consecutive league wins over Real Sociedad and Granada. You can back the Both Teams To Score pick at the 1.70 odds.

Marseille have been a force at Stade Orange Velodrome since the start of the season. Les Phocians are yet to lose at home this season. They’ve managed six wins and three draws in the previous nine home outings across competitions. Villarreal have also done well of late, going unbeaten in seven successive La Liga fixtures. We will opt for the hosts, though, expecting them to continue the hot run of form in their own backyard.

Steffen Schmidt- March 5, 2024

Marseille vs Villarreal Betting Tips

Both Teams Score

OK

1.70 Odds

Marseille to win

OK

1.97 Odds

Correct Score: Marseille 2-1

OK

7.50 Odds