Henry Roldán
The Conference League enters its decisive phase with round of 16 first leg matches, one of which will be played next Thursday between Anderlecht and Villarreal.
Anderlecht sent Ludogorets home by penalty kicks in the playoffs, while Villarreal went through the group stage smoothly by topping Group C.
It is worth noting that this will be the first meeting between both clubs in their careers. Without further ado, JefeBet brings you the preview of the match between Anderlecht vs Villarreal.
Predictions, Picks, and Betting Odds for Anderlecht vs Villarreal Conference League Round of 16 First Leg Game on March 9, 2023
- Where: Lotto Park – Anderlecht, Belgium
- When: Thursday, March 9, 2023, 12:45 PM E.T.
- Moneyline: Anderlecht (+255) / Tie (+230) / Villarreal (+112)
- Asian Handicap: Anderlecht (+0.25, +102) / Villarreal (-0.25, -122)
- Over/Under (2.5): Over (+102) / Under (-125)
- Both teams score: Yes (-129) / No (-103)
All odds shown are brought by Unibet.
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Betting on Anderlecht
This season, Anderlecht is far from being the tough Belgian champion that has been a source of trouble for many in European competitions. In fact, the team came close to being eliminated in the group stage had it not been for a victory on the last matchday of the season.
In the local championship, Brian Riemer’s team are going through some difficulties, too, since it holds the tenth place in the scoreboard after three consecutive winless games, only five points away from the European places.
This is clearly reflected on its qualification on penalties against Ludogorest. Although Anderlecht managed to come from behind in the series, the team was expected to be more solid in the playoff for a place in the round of 16.
At home, things have not gone very well, either. While Anderlecht won one match, drew one and lost one in the group stage,in the local championship the team has lost six of 14 home matches.
Possible Lineup (4-3-3): Bart Verbruggen; Michael Murillo, Zeno Debast, Jan Vertonghen, Killian Sardella; Yari Verschaeren, Majeed Ashimeru, Lior Refaelov; Anders Dreyer, Benito Raman, Francis Amuzu.
Betting on Villarreal CF
After a rather complicated month of January, with four consecutive defeats, Villarreal has started to pick up the pace again with two wins in the last two matchdays of the Spanish league.
These key victories have taken Villareal back into the European places, and it is only seven points away from a Champions League berth for the upcoming season.
The team coached by Quique Setién reached this stage after qualifying at the top of Group C with only one defeat on the last matchday. Besides, it has advanced to the round of 16 in European competitions on eight of the nine occasions the team has played in the phase.
In terms of performance on enemy grounds, Villarreal has just one win in the last four away games in La Liga. However, since the 2020-21 season, it has lost only three out of 17 away matches played.
Possible Lineup (4-5-1): Pepe Reina; Juan Foyth, Raúl Albiol, Pau Torres, Alberto Moreno; Dani Parejo, Samuel Chukwueze, Étienne Capoue, Ramón Terrats, Yéremy Pino; José Luis Morales.
JefeBet Prediction
Visiting Belgium is never an easy task, but Villarreal must get a good result next Thursday against an Anderlecht team that is far from being the historic Jupiler League champion.
Villareal has had a fairly regular season in La Liga, and we all know that in these European competitions its game gets stronger. Last year, the team from Spain reached the Champions League semifinals, eliminating Juventus and Bayern Munich.
Anderlecht, on the other hand, has failed to perform even at home. The team struggled to get through the group stage and was almost knocked out by Ludogorets. Its defensive problems have hampered the performance throughout all the season, which Villarreal knows how to profit from them to get the lead.
Prediction: Villarreal to win (AND 0 – VIL 2)
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