LA LIGA boff Callum Read (@callumread) looks to continue his brilliant La Liga form with a view on Monday night's match from Villarreal.
Villarreal v Atletico Madrid | Monday 19:45 | Sky Sports 2
If we were analysing this game on paper, we’d be looking at a very low-scoring fixture. Both sides have been ruthless at the back this season with Villarreal conceding just 10 goals this season, while Atleti have shipped 11.
This game pits the two best defences in the league against each other in what is promising to be an interesting tactical match up. Furthermore, the Yellow Submarine have conceded just five goals at El Madrigal, two of which came in their last home game, a 2-0 defeat against Alaves.
Flip the coin and look at Atleti’s away form, they’ve conceded just four goals on their travels and so it’s clear already that both sides have impeccable defences going into this fixture.
Out of form sides
Neither side are in the best of form at this moment, meaning a win for either Diego Simeone or Fran Escriba would be a massive coup. The two sides combined have collected a total of 11 points from the last five fixtures.
It’s a worrying time to be an Atletico fan – they currently sit in fifth, 12 points behind leaders Real Madrid. Hopes of winning the title are slowly disappearing and the league title looks a lost cause.
Having been drawn against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, the Madrid side will most likely be leaning more towards the biggest trophy in European football for their chance at silverware.
The biggest issue for Villarreal has been scoring goals – they’ve found the net just 19 times this season.
Their top scorer Nicola Sansone has scored only five but the Italian forward hasn’t found the net in his last six La Liga games. Next on the list sits Bruno who has scored just three.
Goals been hard to come by for Escriba’s side, an issue that Atleti aren’t having this season – the former champions have scored 28 goals this term, with three players notching six or more.
Betting Angle
All of the last five fixtures between the two sides have finished either 0-0 or 1-0, with the last six contests seeing two wins for either side and two draws. Interestingly, both teams have scored in 14% of Atleti’s away games, while Villarreal’s most popular score this campaign has been 0-0.
So firstly, I’m taking Under 2.5 Goals at 3/5 (Bwin). Given the history between the two sides, I’m also taking an interest in the correct score market with 0-0 being my fancy for this Monday night’s showdown.
Best Bets
Villarreal v Atletico Madrid – Under 2.5 Goals (3/5 Bwin)
Villarreal v Atletico Madrid – 0-0 correct score (7/1 William Hill)
