Villarreal is in 4th place and fighting for a Champions League spot. Marcelino Toral's team is inconsistent in results, but has a consistent scoring record: they have exceeded 2.5 goals in four of their last five matches. Resounding victories over Valencia (2-1) and Espanyol (4-1) alternate with a 4-1 rout of Barcelona and a 2-1 defeat to Getafe. The "Yellow Submarine" always plays first and attacks a lot.
Elche is near the relegation zone, but they are not falling apart and are showing a fighting spirit. The team has only picked up two points in its last five matches, but has scored almost all of them, proving that the visitors are capable of holding on for results.
Their head-to-head record leaves no doubt about their scoring rate. Villarreal has won their last three head-to-head matches, beating the 2.5-goal margin each time (4-0, 3-1, 4-0). With the home team struggling to catch the leaders and the visitors opening up wide areas in search of a breakaway, a goal-scoring shootout is inevitable.
