Valencia vs Villarreal 24 October 2026 Prediction

Villarreal has faced several top European clubs in recent weeks. Now it visits regional rival Valencia, which sits near the bottom of La Liga. Valencia is still looking for its first win under new manager Javier Aguirre. Both teams have a chance to improve their position in the standings when they meet at Mestalla.

Valencia Still Winless Under Aguirre

Valencia remains in the relegation zone. It has taken just six points from nine league games, with its only win coming against Alavés (1-0). Those results led to the dismissal of Carlos Corberán, who was replaced by Javier Aguirre. Valencia has drawn both matches under the Mexican manager, 2-2 against Racing and 0-0 against Athletic Club. The Athletic match brought Valencia its first clean sheet in four games at Mestalla, but scoring remains a problem. It has six goals in nine league games and just two in five home matches.

Valencia’s absences are concentrated in attack. Diego López and Sergi Canós are recovering from knee injuries, while Umar Sadiq is unavailable with a muscle injury. Defender José Copete has returned to training, though his status for the derby remains uncertain. Dimitri Foulquier is still training separately as he works his way back to fitness. Luis Rioja is available again, giving Aguirre another option out wide.

Villarreal’s Performances Have Improved

Iñigo Pérez’s team has won only twice in nine league games and sits in the lower half of the table with nine points. Its recent performances have been better than those results suggest. Villarreal beat Napoli 3-1 in the Champions League, then held a 2.38-0.30 xG advantage against Elche in La Liga but settled for a 0-0 draw. It also lost 4-3 to Liverpool after taking a 2-0 lead inside 30 minutes. Consistency remains an issue at both ends: Villarreal has scored three goals in four of its last six games across all competitions but failed to score in the other two. It has kept only one clean sheet in 12 games this season.

Villarreal has new injury concerns ahead of the derby. Nicolas Pépé is still recovering from eye surgery and will miss the match. Carlos Romero and Nathan Saliba are also questionable. Romero was withdrawn from the squad against Liverpool at the last minute because of an adductor injury. Saliba sustained a muscle injury during that game and was substituted at halftime. Both are awaiting medical evaluations. Tajon Buchanan, meanwhile, has recovered from a hamstring injury and started Villarreal’s previous Champions League match.

Valencia vs Villarreal Predicted Lineup

Valencia (4-2-3-1): Dimitrievski; Maffeo, Tárrega, De Haas, Gayà; Pepelu, G. Rodríguez; Raba, Guerra, Danjuma; Duro

Unavailable: D. López, Sadiq, Canós (injured); Foulquier, Copete (questionable)

Manager: Javier Aguirre

Villarreal (4-4-2): Gulácsi; Freeman, Foyth, Veiga, Cardona; Akhomach, Gueye, Comesaña, Moleiro; A. Pérez, Moreno

Unavailable: Pépé (injured); Romero, Saliba (questionable)

Manager: Iñigo Pérez

Valencia vs Villarreal Prediction: Villarreal to Win

Main pick: Villarreal’s away results have been uneven, but it has faced strong opposition. It lost narrowly to Borussia Dortmund (3-2), Real Madrid (1-0) and Liverpool (4-3), and drew 2-2 with Atlético Madrid. Its lone away win came against Málaga (3-1), a closer match for Valencia’s current level. Valencia has taken just two points from five games at Mestalla, while Villarreal has lost only one of its last four La Liga matches. The pick is Villarreal to win at 2.19.

Goals pick: Villarreal’s recent attack has looked better than its league results indicate. It scored six goals across its Champions League games against Napoli (3-1) and Liverpool (4-3). Against Elche, it generated 2.38 xG despite failing to score. Valencia has conceded nine goals in its last four home games, including at least two in two of them. The additional pick is Villarreal team total over 1.5 goals at 1.98.