Villarreal continue their search for a first victory under Inigo Perez when they welcome an in-form Real Betis to Estadio de la Ceramica on Monday evening.

While the Yellow Submarine have gone five competitive matches without winning under their new coach, Manuel Pellegrini’s Betis arrive having beaten Real Madrid in La Liga before opening their Champions League campaign with an impressive victory in France.

Analysis

Villarreal

The appointment of Inigo Perez was intended to begin an exciting new chapter at Villarreal, but the former Rayo Vallecano coach has endured a difficult introduction to life at La Ceramica.

Villarreal are yet to win in five competitive fixtures this season. Their campaign began with successive 2-2 draws against Racing Santander and Atletico Madrid, before defeats against Alaves and Deportivo La Coruna increased the early pressure on their new manager.

A change of competition brought no immediate improvement. Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Borussia Dortmund ended in a 3-2 defeat, although there were positives in a performance that demonstrated Villarreal’s ability to compete offensively against high-level opposition. Santiago Mourino found the net, but defensive lapses once again prevented Perez’s side from turning a competitive display into a result.

That has become the central concern. Villarreal have conceded at least twice in four of their five competitive matches, and Betis are hardly ideal opponents for a defence still searching for stability.

Perez does at least possess an intriguing personal record against Monday’s visitors. Across five previous managerial encounters with Betis, he remains unbeaten, recording one victory and four draws.

Changes are likely after the physical demands of the trip to Dortmund. Alex Freeman, Nicolas Pepe, Alberto Moleiro, Ayoze Perez and Gerard Moreno are among those pushing for starting roles.

There could also be a significant decision in goal. Peter Gulacsi was preferred to Luiz Junior in Germany and could now make his first La Liga appearance for the club.

Carlos Romero and Juan Foyth are expected to remain unavailable, further complicating Perez’s attempts to establish a settled defensive unit.

Real Betis

Betis could hardly travel to La Ceramica with greater confidence. Pellegrini’s team have won four of their opening five competitive fixtures and have already produced two statement results in the space of a few days.

First came a 1-0 La Liga victory over Real Madrid, with Troy Parrott scoring the decisive goal. Betis then returned to the Champions League after more than two decades away and marked the occasion by defeating Lille 3-2 in France.

That European victory required character as much as quality. Betis fell behind twice but responded on each occasion, with Marc Bartra scoring twice before Parrott struck the winner on his Champions League debut. Having also decided the Real Madrid game, the striker has quickly become an important figure in Pellegrini’s attack.

Those results have reinforced an already encouraging beginning to the domestic campaign. Betis sit fifth in La Liga and are only three points behind Barcelona and Real Madrid at the top end of the standings.

Their recent record at La Ceramica offers another reason for optimism. Betis have avoided defeat on each of their last four league visits to Villarreal, collecting two wins and two draws since their most recent loss at the stadium in October 2021.

Last season’s corresponding fixture produced a particularly memorable comeback. Villarreal established a two-goal advantage, only for Antony to score twice and rescue a point for the visitors.

The Brazilian should be available again on Monday after illness and is expected to occupy the right side of the Betis attack. Diego Llorente is also in contention despite suffering a broken nose against Real Madrid and could play wearing a protective mask.

Abde Ezzalzouli should be available as well, although Aitor Ruibal remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.

Pellegrini may make some alterations after the Champions League trip to Lille, but Betis’ encouraging squad depth gives him the opportunity to rotate without dramatically reducing the quality of his starting XI.

Verdict

The pressure is beginning to build on Villarreal, and their inability to keep opponents out makes this a difficult fixture from which to seek a first victory.

Betis arrive with momentum after beating Real Madrid and Lille, while their record at La Ceramica demonstrates that they are perfectly comfortable playing this fixture away from home.

There are reasons not to dismiss Villarreal, though. Their performance in Dortmund contained attacking promise, and Perez has never lost to Betis as a manager.

With the hosts desperate for a response and Betis coming off a demanding Champions League trip, this could become a close and entertaining contest. Villarreal may finally stop their losing sequence, but we expect Pellegrini’s side to leave La Ceramica with something.

Our prediction: Villarreal 2-2 Real Betis.

Tip

Our tip: Both teams to score.