Villarreal vs. Espanyol – News and Probable Lineups

On Monday evening, Villarreal and Espanyol will be battling to get back to winning ways as they meet in Spain’s top division.

Currently, the Yellow Submarine sits in fourth place in the La Liga standings, just three points shy of third-placed Atletico Madrid, whereas Espanyol occupies sixth, leading seventh-placed Celta Vigo by a solitary point.

Match overview

This season, Villarreal has accumulated 13 victories, three draws, and five defeats out of their 21 La Liga fixtures, amassing a total of 42 points that keeps them in fourth place, seven points ahead of fifth-placed Real Betis and only three points behind Atletico Madrid in third.

The Yellow Submarine has shown strong performances at home this season, securing 25 points from 11 matches, while Espanyol has emerged as one of the most formidable teams in away fixtures in La Liga, gathering 15 points from 10 matches.

Marcelino’s squad comes into this match following a 2-2 stalemate against Osasuna and has indeed lost four of their last five matches across all competitions during a concerning stretch.

Villarreal has suffered defeats in two of their last three league encounters and has not celebrated a home victory since January 10, marking a challenging phase for the club.

Interestingly, the Yellow Submarine has triumphed in their previous six clashes against Espanyol and remains unbeaten against the Catalan side since January 2020.

Espanyol has exceeded expectations this season, gathering 34 points from 22 matches to secure sixth place in the rankings, sitting just one point ahead of seventh-placed Celta Vigo.

Manolo Gonzalez’s side trails only a point behind fifth-placed Real Betis, and securing European football for the next season would be a remarkable success.

Entering this match, the White and Blues have faced three consecutive defeats to Girona, Valencia, and Alaves, losing four of their last five league encounters.

Moreover, Espanyol has yet to claim a victory in Spain’s top division since they defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-1 on December 22, marking a difficult start to 2026.

In the earlier match this season, Gonzalez’s team succumbed to a 2-0 loss against Villarreal, who also won the corresponding fixture in the 2024-25 season 1-0.

Villarreal La Liga form:

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Villarreal form (all competitions):

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The Spanish of La Liga form:

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Team News

Villarreal is set to miss Logan Costa, Pau Cabanes, Willy Kambwala, and Juan Foyth for Monday’s clash due to injuries, while Alfonso Pedraza is suspended after receiving a pivotal yellow card in the draw with Osasuna.

Ayoze Perez, Alfon Gonzalez, and Thomas Partey are facing late fitness evaluations, meaning Villarreal could potentially be without eight players come Monday.

Gerard Moreno, who netted twice against Osasuna, will play in attack, while the experienced Dani Parejo is expected to continue in midfield.

On the other side, Espanyol’s Javi Puado remains a long-term absence, and Ramon Terrats and Carlos Romero, both on loan from Villarreal, are ineligible to face their parent club.

Pere Milla is the top scorer for Espanyol this season, having found the back of the net six times in 20 appearances, and he is set to feature again in attack.

Roberto Fernandez will also be making another start, having contributed five goals and three assists in 24 outings this campaign.

Villarreal probable starting XI:

Junior; Mourino, Veiga, Marin, Cardona; Pepe, Parejo, Gueye, Miller; Moreno, Mikautadze

Espanyol probable starting XI:

Dmitrovic; El Hilali, Calero, Cabrera, Salinas; Lozano, Zarate; Dolan, Exposito, Milla; Fernandez

Both teams have struggled to find form recently, making this fixture crucial for each side, which could result in a tense contest, possibly ending in a low-scoring draw.