football | Monday, March 4, 2024 10:40 AM

Marseille vs Villarreal Prediction: Team News and Lineups Preview

Steve Wyss

Welcome to our Marseille vs Villarreal prediction, team news, lineups and fixtures preview. It’s France vs Spain in this Europa League last 16 clash and all eyes are on Villarreal manager Marcelino who returns to the club he left earlier this season.

With both teams struggling in their domestic leagues, this competition has suddenly become a big priority. Both will be desperate to make it through to the QFs. Soccer expert Steve Wyss previews the match bringing you the best angles in.

Our Marseille vs Villarreal prediction is for Marseille to win the match 3-2

Marseille vs Villareal Prediction, Team News, Lineups and Fixtures Preview

Marseille vs Villarreal Tip 1: Over 2.5 Goals
Marseille vs Villarreal Tip 2: BTTS – Yes
Marseille vs Villarreal Tip 3: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Score Anytime

In this article:

Marseille vs Villarreal Team News and Possible Lineups
Marseille vs Villarreal Match Stats
Marseille Fixtures
Villarreal Fixtures
Safer Gambling

Marseille vs Villarreal Tip 1: Wild goal-ridden clash expected at the Velodrome

UEFA Europa League, Thursday 7th March, 20:00 (UK)

Marseille have enjoyed an immediate resurgence since they sacked Gennaro Gattuso. OM are on their third manager of the season, with Jean-Louis Gasset now at the helm. Results have been immediate, with a 3-1 win against Shakhtar in the previous round enough to progress to the last 16.

Gasset followed that up with respective 4-1 and 5-1 victories in Ligue 1 vs Montpellier and Clermont. The mood is clearly much better within the camp, and the players seem to be operating with more freedom. Forget any past stats and trends with Marseille because this is a completely fresh new slate for the south coast side.

All of the talk heading into this fixture is the return of former manager Marcelino. He was only in charge of OM for seven matches at the beginning of this season before walking away from the Stade Velodrome. He’s inherited an exciting Villareal team, who are one of the most watchable sides in La Liga.

With Marseille suddenly free-scoring, the obvious bet to take is over 2.5 goals. Matches involving Villarreal average 3.38 goals per game since Marcelino took the reins. He will want to prove a point to Marseille, and this could be a pulsating clash in which both teams go at each other hard.

Marseille vs Villarreal Tip 1: Over 2.5 Goals (TRACKED BET)
Best Odds: 1.85
Bookmaker: bet365
Stake: 10/10

Marseille vs Villarreal Tip 2: Hard to see either team keeping a clean sheet

I think it’s crazy that BTTS – Yes is a backable price at 1.75 for this game. Nothing points towards either team keeping a clean sheet, and it would be a surprise if either defence put up a solid performance. Villarreal have kept just two clean sheets under Marcelino. One of those was a dead rubber at home to Maccabi Haifa, and the other was against toothless Cadiz, who are the lowest-scoring team in La Liga. This is a side geared up to attack, and anyone would fancy coming up against this Yellow Submarine defence, which gives up an abundance of chances. Villareal have the second worst xG in La Liga (46.94) and are simply far too open and lack defensive discipline.

I mentioned that any Marseille stats now need to be taken with a pinch of salt. But they have only kept one clean sheet in their last 14 competitive matches, which was against fourth-tier Thionville in the French Cup. Their defence has been unreliable for various different reasons and the new manager has clearly come in and tried to win over the fans with some immediate attacking football.

I don’t see Marseille suddenly parking the bus and playing for a 1-0 type first-leg advantage here. They will look to use their scoring power to net multiple goals. There’s no way I could trust either defence to shut out the opposing team. BTTS – Yes feels like it should be priced around the 1.50-60 range, but we can get 1.75, and this looks like the best bet of the whole game.

Marseille vs Villarreal Tip 2: BTTS – Yes (TRACKED BET)
Best Odds: 1.75
Bookmaker: bet365
Stake: 10/10

Marseille vs Villarreal Tip 3: Aubameyang to enjoy Europa League comforts again

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has enjoyed a rebound campaign at Marseille, and he’s netted 19 goals in all competitions so far this year. He’s been especially strong in the Europa League, where he’s scored seven goals in 7 games! That includes a hat trick against Ajax, and he also netted in each leg against Shakhtar in the previous round. Aubameyang has been in great form for a while, scoring 14 times in his last 18 games, including all three fixtures under new manager Jean-Louis Gasset.

This is clearly a competition he enjoys. Perhaps Aubameyang likes being involved in a big European match under the lights where the attention and spotlight is on him more. This looks like the perfect fixture for him to continue his scoring run facing a porous Villarreal defense. This could become a basketball-type game that is end-to-end.

You’ve got to think that the former Arsenal man will get at least 2 or 3 good chances in the game, so at odds of 2.40, I think he’s well worth backing anytime.

Marseille vs Villarreal Tip 3: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Score Anytime (TRACKED BET)
Best Odds: 2.40
Bookmaker: bet365
Stake: 8/10

Marseille vs Villarreal Prediction odds via bet365 as at 08:30, March 4th 2024. Odds may now differ.

Marseille vs Villarreal Team News and Possible Lineups: Sorloth confident after weekend hat-trick

Jean-Louis Gasset has used both a 3-5-2 and 4-3-3 system since taking over at Marseille. He should stick with the same lineup that comfortably beat Clermont 5-1 at the weekend. OM have no suspensions and no significant injuries apart from defender Samuel Gigot.

Villarreal should line up in a 4-4-2 system with defender Raul Albiol an injury doubt. Hat-trick hero from the weekend, Alexander Sorloth, should partner Gerard Moreno upfront.

Marseille possible starting lineup:Lopez, Merlin, Balerdi, Mbemba, Clauss, Harit, Gueye, Ounahi, Sarr, Ndiaye, Aubameyang

Villearreal possible starting lineup:Jorgensen, Moreno, Bailly, Kiko, Mosquera, Baena, Comesana, Coquelin, Akhomach, Moreno, Sorloth

OPTA Match Stats: New Ground for Marcelino

This will be the first ever meeting between Marseille and Villarreal in European competition. Indeed, it will be Marseille’s first game against a Spanish team since the 2018 UEFA Europa League final (0-3 v Atlético de Madrid).
Marseille have kept just one clean sheet in their last 14 competitive games.
Villarreal manager Marcelino left Marseille after just seven games earlier this season.
Marseille have won each of their last three home games in the UEFA Europa League – the only previous time they’ve won four in a row at home in the competition was in 2017-18, when they did so en route to reaching the final that season (won in the last 32, last 16, quarter-final and semi-final at home).
Villarreal matches average 3.38 goals per game since Marcelino took over.
This will be Villarreal boss Marcelino’s first game in the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League since the 2018-19 semi-finals, when his Valencia side lost 3-7 on aggregate to Arsenal. The Spaniard has only lost one of his last 16 games in the competition while in charge of current side Villarreal (W11 D4).
New Marseille manager Jean-Louis Gasset has won all three matches so far with a 12-3 goal differential.

Marseille Fixtures: Tough run of fixtures await

Vs Nantes (H)
Vs Villarreal (A)
Vs Rennes (A)
Vs PSG (H)
Vs Lille (A)

Villarreal Fixtures: Yellow Submarine can focus on the Europa League

Vs Betis (A)
Vs Marseille (H)
Vs Valencia (H)
Vs At Madrid (H)
Vs Ath Bilbao (A)

Safer Gambling

At bettingexpert, we always take a safe approach to gambling. We’ll never bet more than we can afford or chase losses. For more advice, head to our Safer Gambling hub.

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