Villarreal vs Marseille Prediction & Betting Tips - Europa League

Prediction published on 12/03/2024, 13:45  by Sridhar | Modified on 14/03/2024 at 05:45 in Europa League Prediction

Former UEFA Europa League champions Villarreal face an early exit from this year’s competition, as they need to overturn a four-goal deficit against Marseille. This second leg round of 16 fixture will be played at the El Madrigal Stadium in Villarreal on Thursday. Marseille won the first leg 4-0 with three goals scored during the first half, practically killing the contest. It was a rare experience for the Spanish side, as they conceded three goals before halftime for only the third time in a European match. Villarreal can make things interesting with an early goal here, but that could prove to be a challenge. Villarreal followed the first-leg loss with a 3-2 win over Real Betis in La Liga to keep themselves firmly in the mid-table. That puts more pressure on turning things around here to progress, and they need a miracle to win the tie.

Marseille followed the first leg win with a 2-0 victory over Nantes, extending their winning run to five matches in all competitions. The French side has stormed back in Ligue 1 and has improved their chances of challenging for a top-five spot, but they would like to progress here to have another option of qualifying for Europe next season. There’s bound to be optimism in the visiting camp, as they won 18 of the 24 knockout ties in Europe after winning the first leg at home. The challenge, however, is to improve their poor form on the road in Europe. Marseille have won just two of their last nine away matches in UEFA competitions, drawing two and losing five.