THOMAS TUCHEL could hardly have made a better start to his Chelsea reign and will be looking to add another European trophy to his CV with a Super Cup win over Villarreal.
Few people would have tipped the Blues as contenders for Champions League glory when Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard midway through last season.
But the German turned them into a mean machine and Chelsea claimed the scalps of both Madrid clubs and Porto before toppling Manchester City in the Euro showpiece.
Tuchel also guided them to a top-four Premiership finish and the only disappointment was losing the FA Cup Final 1-0 to Leicester after toppling City yet again in the semis.
Hopes are high that Chelsea can now mount a sustained title challenge and after sealing a deal for Inter striker Romelu Lukaku they look more than capable of being in the hunt.
Their season begins with this Super Cup showdown and the Blues won't get it easy against a Villarreal side who shocked both Arsenal and Manchester United to win last season's Europa League.
Unai Emery (below) has kept hold of his best players and added some extra quality, most notably Reims striker Boulaye Dia, so the Yellow Submarine could torpedo a few La Liga giants this term.
How the bookies view it
Chelsea are favourites but still offer good value for accumulators at 21/25 with Novibet. Villarreal are 19/5 at Betfred while the stalemate pays 11/4 at VBet.
Head to head
These sides have never faced each other but Villarreal have a decent record against English opposition, winning five, losing five and drawing eight.
Chelsea have done well against Spanish clubs, dumping both Atletico and Real Madrid (below) en route to Euro glory last term. Their overall record is 19 wins, 17 draws and just 10 defeats.
Players to watch
Kai Havertz emerged as a key man for Chelsea towards the end of last season and the German kid will now be looking to push on. He's 17/10 with McBookie to start this campaign with a goal.
Gerard Moreno was Villarreal's talisman last term, his tally of 32 goals enough to earn a place in Spain's Euro 2020 squad. The forward let me down when I tipped him to score against Arsenal last term but is decent value at 7/4 with McBookie for a goal here.
Anything else catch the eye?
A rock-solid defence has been the platform for Chelsea's success under Tuchel so I would be surprised if we saw a lot of goals. Under 2.5 strikes is 4/5 at Mansionbet while betting against both teams scoring pays 20/23 at BetVictor.
Backing a one-goal winning margin for either side could pay off at 11/8 with Betway while Chelsea to be winning at half-time and full-time appeals at 15/8 (McBookie).
For a long-odds option, N'Golo Kante is 14/1 with Bet365 to pick up the game's first card.
This UEFA Super Cup match between Chelsea and Villarreal will be played on Aug 11, 2021 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Chelsea vs Villarreal prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.