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Marseille will welcome Villarreal to the Stade Vélodrome in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League round of 16 on Thursday.
The hosts defeated Shakhtar Donetsk in the knockout round playoffs last month, recording a 5-3 win on aggregate. The first leg had ended in a 2-2 draw and goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Geoffrey Kondogbia, and Ismaïla Sarr helped them record a 3-1 home win in the second leg.
They have continued their fine form in Ligue 1, recording two wins in a row. They registered a thumping 5-1 away win over Clermont Foot on Saturday, with Aubameyang scoring for the third game on the trot.
The visitors booked a direct spot in the round of 16 after finishing atop the Group F standings. Interestingly, they scored just nine goals in six games, enough for them to secure pole position in the Group F table.
They have enjoyed a seven-game unbeaten run in La Liga, recording two consecutive wins. They played Granada at home in their previous league outing on Sunday, recording a 5-1 win, with Alexander Sørloth bagging a hat-trick and Étienne Capoue and Gonçalo Guedes scoring in the first and second half, respectively.
Marseille vs Villarreal Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two sides will meet for the first time.
- The hosts head into the match on a three-game winning streak, scoring 12 goals while conceding one goal apiece.
- Villarreal have won two of their last three away games, including a 5-3 win over Barcelona in January.
- Marseille have enjoyed an unbeaten record at home across all competitions this season, recording 11 wins in 17 games.
- The visitors have lost just one of their last 10 away games in the Europa League. They registered a 3-2 away win over Ligue 1 side Rennes in their final group-stage match in the competition in December.
Marseille vs Villarreal Prediction
Les Phocéens have registered three consecutive wins, scoring 12 goals, and will look to continue that run in this match. They have scored at least twice in 13 of their 17 home games in all competitions this season and are expected to find the back of the net with ease.
Jordan Veretout and Samuel Gigot were absent in their win over Clermont Foot last week due to injuries and are unlikely to be named in the squad for this match. Valentin Rongier and Amir Murillo are also injury concerns for manager Jean-Louis Gasset.
El Submarino Amarillo travel to Marseille on a seven-game unbeaten run, recording two wins on the trot. They have scored nine goals in their last three away games and will look to continue that prolific run.
Villarreal's current head coach, Marcelino, who was the manager of the hosts until September, returns to Stade Vélodrome in this match and will look to register a positive result.
Raúl Albiol is a key absentee for the visitors with an injury picked up earlier this month. A group of players were affected by a virus earlier this week, but only Francis Coquelin has not recovered from the same and is a doubt.
Considering the current goalscoring form of the two teams, a high-scoring draw is likely to ensue.
Prediction: Marseille 2-2 Villarreal
Marseille vs Villarreal Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Draw
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to score or assist any time - Yes
