For our Anderlecht vs. Villarreal prediction, we're going for a 2-1 win for the away side.
We have an intriguing tie in the Europa Conference League this weekend as Belgian giants Anderlecht face Spanish club Villarreal in the round of 16.
Anderlecht reached the Europa Conference League last 16 by finish 2nd in Conference League Group B, a group containing West Ham, Silkeborg and FCSB before eliminating Ludogorets in the play-off round via a penalty shootout following a 2-2 stalemate on aggregate across the two legs.
Anderlecht have struggled immensely domestically this season, by their standards, as they sit 10th in the Belgian First Division A, a whopping 31 points behind leaders Genk.
They enter this game amidst a poor run of form, too, having won one, drawn two and lost two of their last five matches in all competitions.
Most recently Anderlecht were beating 1-0 away from home against Gent, a result that now means they're three games without a win in the league having won just three of their last ten.
Despite their poor form domestically, Anderlecht have performed solidly in Europe and should give Villarreal a decent test here even if they are the clear underdogs. It's unlikely they'll progress from this tie but they could well take something from this game.
Villarreal reached the last 16 of the Europa Conference League by finishing top of Conference League Group C, a group containing Lech Poznan, Hapoel Beer-Sheva and Austria Wien.
They've had a solid season domestically, too, as they sit 6th in the La Liga table with another finish in the European places in sight.
Their form has been mixed of late, though, with Manuel Pellegrini's side winning two and losing three of their last five matches in the league. Having won each of their last two, though, they'll feel like this game is arriving at the perfect time.
Their most recent game saw them secure a 2-0 win away at Almeria, a result that confirmed their second consecutive win which will have been a big relief considering they were on a four-match losing streak before beating Getafe in their last game of February.
Their away form has been solid enough of late having won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five matches on the road.
Jose Luis Morales is on fine form for The Yellow Submarine having scored in his last three consecutive matches, so they'll be hoping he can help fire them to a big win here.
Villarreal are favourites for this tie and should progress over two legs, but Anderlecht could make this one competitive.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of our previews, tips and offers for this weekend’s action.
