Villarreal vs Steaua Bucharest: Preview and Prediction

Villarreal vs Steaua Bucharest
UEFA Europa League – Matchday 6
Date: Thursday, 8th December 2016,
Kick-Off at 16:00 UK
Venue: El Madrigal, Vila-real.

The four teams in Group L of 2016/17 Europa League are separated by 1 point, which makes the matchday 6 fixture extremely crucial for all involved.

The Turkish outfit Osmanlispor sits at the top of the table with 7 points, while Steaua Bucuresti, Villarreal and FC Zurich have 6 points. Steaua are currently second and Villarreal at the bottom despite being on same points. Both teams must look to win this fixture as a draw will seem them eliminated if Zurich manage to get a win against Osmanlispor.

Villarreal started their Europa League group phase with a 2-1 win at home against Zurich. They failed to win in four consecutive fixtures since then after being held to 3 draws and a defeat against Osmanlispor.

Steaua started with an away defeat against Osmanlispor and then drew 3 games in a row. They defeated Osmanlispor at home on matchday 5 to climb up from bottom of the group to second.

Villarreal vs Steaua Bucharest: Head-to-head stats

The matchday 2 clash between Steaua and Villarreal ended in a 1-1 draw, with goals coming inside first 20 minutes. The LaLiga team are unbeaten in 3 matches against Steaua with a win and 2 draws. They defeated Steaua by a solitary goal in the previous home match on 2005, while the two fixtures so far at Bucharest are draws.

Steaua Bucharest have a poor record in away games against Spanish LaLiga sides. They had lost in 10 of their previous 13 visits, managing just 2 wins and a draw.

Villarreal vs Steaua Bucharest: Prediction

Villarreal have managed to qualify for the round of 32 in each of their previous 6 seasons in Europa League. But they are not in a good shape at the moment, but they are capable team and expect to be on top of their game on Thursday. Steaua on the other hand are extremely poor in European away games. On top of that, their overall form is also disappointing. Coupled this with their poor record in Spain, Villarreal are clear favourites to get a win and qualify in style.