The story of the season at El Madrigal has been the battle for fourth place.
Villarreal sit where they would have aimed to and with seven games remaining look nailed on for Champions League football. The final stretch of the season has begun and now it is all about the numbers.
The Yellow Submarine will not improve their standing in the table as they sit 12 points behind Real Madrid in third but they still have the opportunity to fall down the standings.
Marcelino’s team sit eight points ahead of Celta Vigo in fifth as the countdown to the end of the season runs on. Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla are one point behind Os Celticos and are not out of contention yet, so how will the season play out for the pack?
On Jornada 32 Villarreal host Getafe, Celta travel to Sporting, Bilbao face Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla visit Valencia.
A quick look over the form book show that only one of those fixtures will cause concern for the chasing pack and that is Sevilla’s trip to the Mestalla.
The Rojiblancos have not won away from home all season, and while Valencia have just had a change in management due to their own poor form they still stand a good chance of extending that record. Look for a draw in this fixture.
After this round the table should stand at:
4. Villarreal 60 Pts
5. Celta Vigo 52 Pts
6. Athletic Bilbao 51 Pts
7. Sevilla 49 Pts
Eleven points off fourth and with only six games to recover the difference Sevilla will be out of the Champions League picture by the end of round 32. They are still in contention in the Europa League, where they face Bilbao, so they will be looking at that competition as their entry point into Europe’s Premier Cup competition.
Matchday 33 serves up Villarreal’s trip to Rayo Vallecano, who are fighting off relegation, Celta hosting Real Betis and Bilbao away at Malaga.
This round could prove a stumbling block for Bilbao. Their fourth game in ten days, with their Eurpoa League commitments interrupting their league focus, and against a team that could protest to be the “best of the rest” may cause the Basque’s some troubles. A draw earlier in the season could likely be repeated, leaving the table looking like:
4. Villarreal 63 Pts
5. Celta Vigo 55 Pts
6. Athletic Bilbao 52 Pts
Much like Sevilla the round before, Jornada 33 may spell the end of Bilbao’s Champions League chasing campaign.
Having just played in the Europa League, and by this point knowing who came out over two legs, round 34 will once again match up Sevilla and Bilbao which will once and for all end the hopes for both teams as whoever wins will only have four matches to turn around an, at best, eight-point gap.
But for Celta Matchday 34 gives them a glimmer of hope. They will travel to Espanyol, who by this point of the season will have nothing left to play for, not challenging for anything nor battling against the drop, while Villarreal take on the might of Real Madrid. Los Blancos could still be in with a shot at the title and will not let history repeat itself in the form of their earlier season defeat to El Submarino Amarillo leaving the battle for fourth as tight as could be.
With four matches to play only five points may separate the two:
4. Villarreal 63 Pts
5. Celta Vigo 58 Pts
Round 35 should pass without incident, Villarreal taking the three points against Real Sociedad as Celta do the same with Granada.
4. Villarreal 66 Pts
5. Celta Vigo 61 Pts
Predicting Celta to go on a four match winning streak is a leap of faith at this point as their longest winning run so far this season is three, but as the business end of the season arrives it will be put up or shut up for Eduardo Berizzo’s men.
Round 36 though is where the league will run its course, and in grand style for Villarreal. The Yellow Submarine travel to Valencia for the second Derbi De La Comunitat of the season and as they assert their dominance as the best team in Valencia in 2015-16 will realise their Champions League aspirations.
Celta Vigo will travel to Bilbao and their four match winning streak will grind to a halt in, arguably, the league’s most feared stadium – San Memes.
With two games to spare Villarreal will, like they do at this time, hold an eight point gap to fifth which will secure their spot in the 2016/17 edition of the UEFA Champions League.
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