Villarreal vs Espanyol: Summary, H2H Stats, Lineups & Highlights

As Villarreal prepare to host Espanyol on February 9, 2026, with kick-off at 21:00, this SPAIN: La Liga fixture promises high stakes in a tightly contested title race.

Villarreal, currently 4th in the standings with 42 points from 21 games, trail the leaders by 16 points. They've earned 25 points from 11 home games this season. Their recent form has been mixed, with 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses in their last five matches. They've shown defensive issues, conceding 8 goals. At the same time, they've displayed a positive attacking record, scoring 8 goals. The attack has been led by Alberto Moleiro, the leading goalscorer this season with 8 goals, while also providing key assists. Crucial contributions in the final third have come from players like Gerard Moreno, Karl Etta Eyong, Tajon Buchanan, who have delivered important goals and assists.

Espanyol, sitting 6th with 34 points, enter as underdogs but face a tough test on the road, where they've earned 15 points from 10 games this season. Their recent form has been weak, with 1 draw and 4 losses in their last five matches. They've shown defensive issues, conceding 10 goals. At the same time, they've displayed limited attacking output with 4 goals scored. The offensive threat is spearheaded by Pere Milla, who leads the scoring with 6 goals. Support has come from Roberto Fernandez, Carlos Romero, Kike Garcia, who have chipped in with decisive contributions in attack.

Recent meetings between Villarreal and Espanyol have favored Villarreal, with Espanyol claiming victory in their most recent clash (2-0). This fixture has generally favored Villarreal in recent years.

In their previous league match against Osasuna, Villarreal recorded a 2-2 draw while lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Their starting XI featured Luiz Junior, Pedraza, Veiga, Marin, Mourino, Moleiro, Gueye, Parejo, Pepe, Mikautadze, Moreno. The formation provided flexibility in midfield, allowing for effective rotation and positional play.

Espanyol's last outing came against Alaves, where they secured a 1-2 defeat using a 4-4-2 system. Their starting XI featured Dmitrovic, Romero, Cabrera, Calero, Riedel, Terrats, Exposito, Gonzalez de Zarate, Carreras, Garcia, Fernandez. This setup relied on discipline and work rate to maintain structure while exploiting wide areas.

Looking ahead, Villarreal are expected to maintain their unknown structure, Villarreal and Espanyol are expected to use their standard structures. The contest is set to revolve around midfield control, pressing efficiency, and how effectively each side manages transitions between defense and attack.

Goal trends from the last ten games across all competitions suggest a moderate number of goals: Villarreal's fixtures have averaged 3.2 goals per game, with 7 going over 2.5 and both teams scoring in 60% of those matches, alongside 0 clean sheets. Espanyol's games average 2.1 goals, with 3 going over 2.5 and both teams scoring in 40% of those matches, alongside 3 clean sheets. With both sides showing defensive resilience, expect a low-scoring affair.

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