Malaga vs Villarreal: prediction and stats
La LigaRegular Season - 6Kick-off on September 16, 2026 at 03:00 PM (UTC)Estadio La Rosaleda, Málaga
The Footlab model makes Malaga the favourite at 38%, against 27% for a draw and 35% for Villarreal. The most likely score is 1-1.
This model is measured at 53.9% 1X2 accuracy on a temporal hold-out, against 33.3% for random guessing. See the measured accuracy
Probabilities recomputed on Aug 21, 2026 — the full match card is recomputed continuously until kick-off.
Who will win Malaga vs Villarreal?
Villarreal starts as the favourite with a 118-point Elo edge (2,174 vs 2,056).
What is the recent form of both teams?
Over their last 15 matches in all competitions, Malaga have 7 wins, 6 draws and 2 defeats; Villarreal have 7, 4 and 4.
The competition is shown for every match: in pre-season, several of these games are friendlies.
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 19, 2026 | Atletico Madrid(away) | 0-2 | La Liga |
| Aug 12, 2026 | Fulham(home) | 2-2 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Aug 7, 2026 | AD Ceuta FC(away) | 1-2 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Aug 6, 2026 | Al-Arabi SC(home) | 4-2 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Jul 30, 2026 | Al-Ittihad FC(home) | 2-2 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 16, 2026 | Racing Santander(away) | 2-2 | La Liga |
| Aug 8, 2026 | Galatasaray(away) | 2-1 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Aug 5, 2026 | Levante(home) | 1-0 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Aug 1, 2026 | Lens(away) | 1-3 | Como Cup |
| Jul 29, 2026 | Como(home) | 1-1 | Como Cup |
What does the head-to-head say?
Across the last 6 meetings: 1 Malaga win(s), 1 draw(s), 4 Villarreal win(s).
| Date | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2018 | Malaga 1-0 Villarreal | La Liga |
| Nov 5, 2017 | Villarreal 2-0 Malaga | La Liga |
| Feb 12, 2017 | Villarreal 1-1 Malaga | La Liga |
| Sep 10, 2016 | Malaga 0-2 Villarreal | La Liga |
| Feb 13, 2016 | Villarreal 1-0 Malaga | La Liga |
| Sep 23, 2015 | Malaga 0-1 Villarreal | La Liga |
How many goals should we expect?
Malaga score 1.9 and concede 1.3 goals per match over their last 15; Villarreal score 1.9 and concede 1.3. The model gives a 51% probability of over 2.5 goals and 55% for both teams to score.
| Club | Goals scored / match | Goals conceded / match | Clean sheets | Both teams scored | Over 2.5 goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malaga | 1.9 | 1.3 | 3 | 11/15 | 9/15 |
| Villarreal | 1.9 | 1.3 | 2 | 11/15 | 9/15 |
Over the last 15 matches in all competitions.
Where do both teams sit in the table?
Malaga sit 18th in La Liga (0 points from 1 matches) and Villarreal sit 6th (1 points from 1 matches).
| # | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Villarreal | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 18 | Malaga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Verdict, probable XI and verified absences
The full match card recomputes this prediction continuously until kick-off: multi-market verdict, player-by-player probable XI and web-verified absences.
Open the full match card in the app
No odds, no affiliation: the method is published and the accuracy is measured.
How does Footlab compute this prediction?
The model combines both teams' Elo ratings (anchored by competition pool), their recent form weighted by opponent strength, home advantage and a Poisson matrix for scorelines. Its accuracy is measured continuously on the predictions actually published. Methodology and measured accuracy
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the favourite for Malaga vs Villarreal?
- The Footlab model makes Malaga the favourite at 38%, against 27% for a draw and 35% for Villarreal.
- Where and when is Malaga vs Villarreal played?
- Malaga vs Villarreal is played on September 16, 2026 at 03:00 PM (UTC) at Estadio La Rosaleda, in the La Liga.
- Will there be over 2.5 goals?
- The Footlab model gives a 51% probability of at least three goals in this match.
- How reliable is this prediction?
- The Footlab model is measured at 53.9% correct 1X2 outcomes on a temporal hold-out, against 33.3% for random guessing. The breakdown by competition and Elo gap is published on the accuracy page.