Manchester United vs. Villarreal 9/29/21 UEFA Champions League Soccer Pick, Odds, and Prediction

Manchester United is hosting Villarreal at Old Trafford in round 2 of Group F in the UEFA Champions League. United’s form has declined as of late, and they haven’t scored a goal in their last 2 games. Villarreal hasn’t lost many games, but they have a ton of draws, and their defense has been solid.

Manchester United has lost 3 of their last 4 games, and they have cooled off offensively, by a lot. In their last game against Aston Villa in the EPL, United was the dominant team with 60% of ball possession, 4 shots on goal, 5 corner kicks, and 2 big chances created. This was a tough game, but United has had a few good chances, and a penalty in the last minute of the game when they were losing 0-1. Bruno Fernandes has missed this penalty, and United has lost this match 0-1. United has also lost in their first Champions League game, and they have also conceded a red card in that game against Young Boys. Van Bissaka is suspended for this game. Ronaldo is the only goalscorer for United so far in the Champions League. Every big team goes through a dry spell, and that doesn’t mean they are a bad team. I think United will get back on track soon, possibly even in this game.

Villarreal is a great team, they can play fantastic soccer on both ends, but they just can’t stay consistent this season. Villarreal has 6 draws in their last 8 games, but the good news I suppose is they are still undefeated in LaLiga. Villarreal is in 11^th place with 8 points, 6 scored goals, and 3 conceded goals. In their last game against Real Madrid on the road, Villarreal was actually the better team with 51% of ball possession, 2 shots on goal, 3 corner kicks, 1 big chance created, and 88% of the correct passes. Villarreal has created better chances in this game, but they lacked focus on the attacking end. Defensively, Villarreal was solid, and this game has ended in a 0-0 draw. Their first Champions League game against Atalanta was solid, and considering their bad form at the time, a 2-2 draw was an excellent score for Villarreal. As I’ve mentioned, Villarreal is inconsistent, and they are struggling with getting on the winning track, but I’m sure that will end soon because Villarreal is a great team, and they can do so much better.

Villarreal has beaten United in the Europa League finals last season after a penalty shootout. With both teams being in sloppy form lately, they will both try to get back on track in this game. United needs this win more, and they are the deeper and better team, but the price is not great. I will add goals to United as well.