Villarreal to Win and Under 3.5 Match Goals at 11/8
Correct Score Prediction
Villarreal 2-0 at 13/2
Reason For Villarreal vs Ponferradina Betting Tips
This tie is nicely set up for the 2nd Leg, with the underdogs having claimed a shock 1-0 victory in the first meeting. Midfielder Sergio Cidoncha netted a First Half goal to give Ponferradina a famous win, however the minnows still have plenty of work to do if they are to secure a place in the last sixteen and it’s hard to see Villarreal not turning the tie around with home advantage here.
Ponferradina and Villarreal were in the same league as recently as the 2012/13 season but right now there is a huge gulf in class in truth. Villarreal are playing in Europe and hoping to push for a top four finish in La Liga. Ponferradina meanwhile have hit hard times and are in the relegation zone of their section of the 80 team Segunda B. They are in real danger of dropping into the Tercera Division which, to put things in some perspective, is someway below the level of even the National League in England.
Villarreal suffered a setback at the weekend but overall they have a very strong home record this season. They’ve won 5 of their 8 matches at the Estadio de la Cerámica and had gone 11 home games without defeat in all competitions prior to their loss to Sevilla on Sunday.
Ponferradina by contrast have won just 1 of their 9 away games this term, losing 6 of them. Given the level they play at, that doesn’t exactly inspire confidence and a home victory is just about the only way this one is likely to go. However, there is at least reason to think the underdogs can keep the score down.
They will almost certainly use the same tactics they employed to a surprising degree of success in the 1st Leg. While Villarreal made changes, they still started with attacking players like Samu Castillejo and Roberto Soriano, who feature regularly in La Liga. But they could find no way to break down a curious Ponferradina formation which saw them line up effectively with three central defenders and three defensive midfielders, making it very difficult for their more illustrious opponents to find much space.
Playing away, they will surely go with the same approach and Villarreal may have to be patient in order to force a breakthrough. 9 of Ponferradina’s last 10 competitive away games have produced under 3.5 goals and it’s hard to see them creating much of their own here, so going for Villarreal & Under 3.5 Goals looks a decent bet.
Head To Head
Ponferradina were surprise 1-0 winners in the 1st Leg. The only other recent meetings came in the 2012/13 season with Villarreal winning both clashes in the Segunda Division to nil but suffering a 2-0 defeat in a home Copa del Rey game
Villarreal vs Ponferradina Stats
Just 1 of Villarreal’s last 9 Copa del Rey home games have seen over 3.5 goals scored (1-3 vs Barcelona in 2015). Ponferradina have only managed 4 goals in 9 away games this term in all competitions.
Villarreal Team News
Villarreal will rotate their side despite the 1st Leg deficit. The likes of Adrian Marin and Nicola Sansone should come into the eleven but striker Enes Unal, who started the 1st Leg, has since left the club on loan.
Ponferradina Team News
The visitors will almost certainly look to park the bus. They are likely to utilise a back three again with Brazilian forward Yuri set to lead the line on his own.