Villarreal join the knockout phase of the Europa Conference League as they travel to Anderlecht for a round of 16 first leg clash. Both teams have shown some good form lately but the Spaniards appear to have the superior quality and can claim the advantage in Belgium.
Anderlecht came through the knockout playoffs to book their place in the round of 16 of the Europa Conference League. Having suffered a 1-0 defeat in the first leg at Ludogorets, they claimed a 2-1 victory in Belgium for a 2-2 aggregate scoreline before going on to win on penalties.
While Anderlecht will be pleased to be making progress in the Conference League, they do not head into Thursday’s clash in the best form. The second leg victory over Ludogorets is their only win in the last five matches and they were also beaten 1-0 by Gent in a domestic fixture last Sunday.
Things have been slightly better for Anderlecht at home, where they are unbeaten in their last four matches across all competitions. Brian Riemer’s men have claimed two wins and played out two draws in that run, including a 2-2 score line with Standard Liege in their previous home fixture.
Villarreal are only just beginning their campaign in the knockout phase of the Conference League having drawn a bye in the group stage. They finished top of the standings in the first round after suffering just one defeat in six matches.
Having struggled since the turn of the year, Villarreal appear to be coming into form at the right time. Quique Setien’s men have won their last two La Liga matches, claiming a 2-1 victory over Getafe before seeing off Almeria 2-0 last Saturday.
Having impressed on their recent travels as evidenced by the win at Almeria last Saturday. They have also won three of their last four away matches in the Europa Conference League.
How the bookies view it
Villarreal have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 11/10 by Paddy Power to claim the win. Anderlecht are considered outsiders at 11/4 with bet365 while Betfred is offering odds of 23/10 for a draw.
Head to head
This will be the first ever meeting between Anderlecht and Villarreal.
Players to watch
Islam Slimani has impressed since joining Anderlecht in January, scoring three goals in the last two matches at Lotto Park. The Algerian striker could be worth keeping an eye on to score anytime 14/5 with Unibet.
Jose Luis Morales grabbed four goals during the group stage of the Conference League and will be the one to watch for Villarreal. The forward has also found the net in his last two matches and can be backed to maintain his scoring run at 43/20 with Unibet.
Anything else catch the eye?
Anderlecht and Villarreal have the quality to find their way to goal and both teams can be backed to score at 4/5 with William Hill. The Belgians have seen over 3.5 goals in four of their last six home matches across all competitions and a repeat is valued at 13/5 by BetVictor while William Hill is offering evens for over 2.5 goals.
Villarreal have opened the scoring in three of their last four away matches in the Conference League and can be tipped to grab the opening goal on Thursday at 4/5 with BoyleSports.
This UEFA Europa League Conference match between Anderlecht and Villarreal will be played on Mar 9, 2023 and kick off at 17:45. Check below for our tipsters best Anderlecht vs Villarreal prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
