Villarreal will be aiming to end their six-game winless run in all competitions when they head to Leganes in La Liga on Sunday evening.
The visitors are currently fifth in the La Liga table, six points behind fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao with a game in hand, while Leganes are 15th and will enter the contest off the back of an incredible 1-0 success over Barcelona.
Match preview
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Leganes shocked Barcelona last weekend, with Sergio Gonzalez's early header earning the promoted outfit a historic victory over the division leaders, and it would certainly have boosted their confidence heading towards the winter break.
El Lega won the 2023-24 Segunda Division to secure a return to the top flight for the first time since 2019-20, so any spot over 18th would be considered a successful campaign for the club.
A record of four wins, six draws and seven defeats from 17 matches has seen Leganes pick up 18 points, which is enough for 15th spot in the table, three points above the relegation zone.
Borja Jimenez's side have picked up 10 points from their eight home league matches this season, but scoring goals has been an issue in front of their own fans, only finding the back of the net on six occasions.
Leganes have lost four of their last five La Liga matches against Villarreal, but they recorded a famous 2-1 victory over the Yellow Submarine when the two teams last locked horns in March 2020.
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Villarreal's winless run in all competitions stretched to six matches when they drew 1-1 with Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday night, but the result did at least end a three-game losing run for the Yellow Submarine.
Marcelino's side have not been victorious since a 3-0 success over Alaves on November 9, but it has still been a strong season to date, with the team sitting fifth in the table, boasting 27 points from 17 matches.
The Yellow Submarine are only six points behind fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao and have a game in hand, but they will surely need to improve defensively in order to be serious challengers for the top four.
Indeed, Villarreal have conceded 28 times in their 17 league matches this season, which is the joint-third worst defensive record in the division, but they have scored 29 times, which is the fourth-best attacking record.
Marcelino's team have picked up 14 points from their eight away league fixtures this term, while they were 3-0 winners over Leganes on their last trip to El Lega in September 2019.
Team News
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Leganes will once again be missing Enric Franquesa and Renato Tapia due to injury problems, but the squad will be boosted by the return of Valentin Rosier, who was suspended against Barcelona last time out.
Rosier for Adria Alti is likely to be a straight swap at right-back, with the hosts expected to switch to a back four, while Darko Brasanac is set to come in for Tapia.
Munir El Haddadi and Miguel de la Fuente were handed starts against the division leaders, and the pair are once again expected to feature in Jimenez's first XI this weekend.
As for Villarreal, Ramon Terrats, Nicolas Pepe, Ilias Akhomach and Alfonso Pedraza will miss the match through injury, but there is a chance that Diego Conde could recover from a knee issue in time to start.
Willy Kambwala is suspended due to his straight red cared against Rayo, but Dani Parejo, Kiko Femenia and Alex Baena will all be available after missing out on Wednesday night through bans of their own.
Parejo, Femenia and Baena are all set to return to the starting side for the Yellow Submarine, while leading goalscorer Ayoze Perez is expected to be joined in the final third of the field by Thierno Barry.
Leganes possible starting lineup:
Dmitrovic; Rosier, S Gonzalez, Saenz, J Hernandez; El Haddadi, Neyou, Brasanac, Cisse, O Rodriguez; De la Fuente
Villarreal possible starting lineup:
Conde; Femenia, Albiol, Costa, S Cardona; Pino, Gueye, Parejo, Baena; Perez, Barry
We say: Leganes 1-2 Villarreal
Leganes deserve huge credit for their performance against Barcelona, but Villarreal are very much due a win, and with the visitors set to be boosted by the returns of some key players, we can see them edging a close match on Sunday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
