Villarreal vs Elche CF
Match details. LaLiga, Regular Season - 9. Kick-off is Sat 17 Oct, 15:15 Lagos time. It is played at Estadio de la Cerámica, Villarreal. The referee is Victor Garcia Verdura.
What's at stake. Villarreal are 11th on 8 points after 8 games, level on points with Athletic Club, level on points with Espanyol. A win would take them above Athletic Club. Elche CF are 18th on 6 points after 8 games, 1 point behind Levante, 1 point clear of Valencia. A win would take them above Levante.
Team news. Villarreal are without T. Buchanan (muscle injury), N. Pepe (eye injury), T. Buchanan (muscle injury), N. Pepe (eye injury).
Form. Villarreal have won three, drawn two and lost five of their last ten, 1.1 points a game. Their last five, newest first: W L W W L. Elche CF have won two, drawn four and lost four of their last ten, 1.0 points a game. Their last five, newest first: D W L D L.
The numbers. Villarreal score 1.8 and concede 1.7 a game over their last ten, with no clean sheets and two games without a goal. Villarreal average 13.8 shots (6.5 on target), 6.5 corners and 1.9 cards a game, with 61% of the ball. Elche CF score 1.6 and concede 1.4 a game in their last five away, with no clean sheets. Elche CF average 8.9 shots (4.0 on target), 4.1 corners and 2.7 cards a game, with 52% of the ball.
Head to head. In the last ten meetings Villarreal have won five, drawn three and lost two. Seven of the ten went over 2.5 goals and both teams scored in six. In the last four, Villarreal won three and Elche CF won one. The last time they met, on 8 Mar 2026, it finished Villarreal 2-1 Elche CF: Villarreal had 16 shots to 13, 37% of the ball, three yellow cards.
Where it pulls both ways. The prices and the records disagree: the odds board makes it 68% against the records' 36%.
The read. No firm call: Villarreal are the better side, but not at this price. An open game. Their goals for and against make Villarreal the likelier winners; Villarreal are the stronger side on form and the table; the meetings favour Villarreal. Their goals for and against point to an open game. Their records put over 2.5 goals at 65%. Seven of the last ten meetings went over 2.5.
The bets. Best bet: Over 1.5 Goals at 1.15, 79% on the records (Villarreal: over 1.5 goals in 6 of 8; Elche CF: over 1.5 goals in 5 of 5 away). Backup: 2nd Half - Over/Under: Over 0.5 at 1.16. It often rescues the bet, but it is no guarantee. Leave: Under 4.5 Goals (no unders on an open read); Under 5.5 Goals (no unders on an open read). Predicted score: Villarreal 2-1 Elche CF (10% chance).
Every score's chance from both teams' checked games, never cut or rescaled. The lit square is the likeliest score that fits the read (an open game).