Villarreal v Zenit Betting Tips: 1 AH-0.25, 2019-03-14

Europa League Tips

VILLARREAL v ZENIT
Europa League
Thursday 14th March 2019
Kickoff: 2000hrs
Pick: Villarreal AH-0.25
Bookmaker: Marathonbet
Odds: 1.76 (odds taken at 01:12 GMT, 14 Mar 2019)

Villarreal are firmly in the box seat ahead of their return leg in the round of 16 in the Europa League against Zenit as the betting tips continue on Thursday night at the Estadio de la Cerámica with the hosts holding a 3-1 lead.

Europa League Betting at Marathonbet

Villarreal Prediction

Villarreal achieved a fantastic result in Russia in last week’s first leg at Zenit and they’re now just 90 minutes away from booking their place in the quarter-finals of the competition. The hosts come into this clash having recorded recent back-to-back wins (away at Zenit and a 2-0 win away at Levante in La Liga), so they’ll be in confident mood ahead of this 2nd leg clash.

Looking at overall form at home, Villarreal have managed just one win from their last eight matches on home turf in all competitions which was a 3-0 win against 6th placed Sevilla, but they’ve also lost just twice within this period too.

There have been five draws within this last eight match sequence, and we should therefore bear that in mind when drawing up this pick. For Villarreal to even still be in the Europa League is remarkable given their current situation in La Liga; the hosts sit one position and one point above the relegation zone!

Villarreal are also unbeaten in their last four matches at their Estadio de la Cerámica in the Europa League as they’ve drawn with Rangers and Sporting CP as well as recording wins against Rapid Vienna and Spartak Moscow.

 

Key-Facts – Villarreal v Zenit

  • Villarreal have drawn 5 of their last 8 matches in all competitions
  • Villarreal are unbeaten in their last 4 matches at home in the Europa League
  • Zenit have lost 6 of their last 8 away matches in the Europa League

 

Zenit Prediction

Zenit will need to dust themselves off and focus their attention on attempting to retrieve what seems a highly improbable situation where the Russian outfit need to go all out to not only win this tie but also take risks in scoring a few goals too.

This therefore opens Zenit up to the counter-attack from Villarreal, and having played just five competitive matches since the turn of the year (due to the Russian domestic winter break), the visitors are firmly up against it here.

Zenit’s previous history away from home in the Europa League doesn’t make for happy reading if you’re a Zenit fan either as the visitors have lost six of their last eight matches on their travels in this competition, while grabbing just two draws during this miserable sequence which were stalemates at Copenhagen and Bordeaux.

Defeats at Celtic, RB Leipzig, Dinamo Minsk, Molde, Slavia Prague and Fenerbahce have extended Zenit’s misery on the road in the Europa League in recent times.

Betting Tips Verdict

Villarreal don’t have to take any risks here and can hit Zenit on the break as the Russian outfit chase this tie.