The Matchday 1 clash of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League group stage between Tottenham (England) and Villarreal (Spain) will take place on September 16 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Tottenham vs. Villarreal: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Tottenham
Last season, the Londoners finished only 17th in the Premier League. Nevertheless, they qualified for the Champions League by winning the Europa League. In May, they managed to defeat Manchester United 1-0 in the final of that tournament. The last time the English team played in the Champions League was in the 2022/23 season, where they reached the Round of 16, only to be stopped by AC Milan (0-1 on aggregate).
- In their last 11 matches in this European competition, Tottenham has won only 3 times in regular time (3 draws and 5 losses).
- No more than two goals were scored in 6 of Tottenham's last 8 Champions League games over 90 minutes.
- At least one team failed to score in regular time in 7 of Tottenham's last 10 matches in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Tottenham (4-2-3-1)
Guglielmo Vicario – Djed Spence, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro – João Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur – Mohammed Kudus, Pape Sarr, Xavi Simons – Richarlison.
Due to injuries, defender Radu Dragusin, midfielders Yves Bissouma, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski are currently unavailable.
Villarreal
The Valencians reached the main round of the Champions League thanks to a "gift" from UEFA in the form of an additional 5th spot for La Liga. The team finished 5th in the last Primera. Over the past 8 years, the club has only qualified for this elite European competition twice. In the 2021/22 season, Villarreal even reached the semifinals, where they lost both matches to Liverpool (0-2 and 2-3).
- The team has not lost in regular time in 7 of their last 10 Champions League matches (5 wins and 2 draws).
- Villarreal scored in 5 of their last 6 away matches in this tournament over 90 minutes.
- The Spaniards did not lose in the first half in 14 of their last 15 games in this European competition (5 wins and 9 draws).
Predicted lineup for Villarreal (4-3-3)
Luis Junior – Rafa Marin, Sergi Cardona, Santiago Mourino, Juan Foyth – Alberto Moleiro, Santi Comesana, Pape Gueye – Karl Etta Eyong, Nicolas Pepe, Tajon Buchanan.
Injured players include forwards Pau Cabanes and Gerard Moreno, defenders Willy Kambwala and Logan Costa.
Referee
Rade Obrenovic (Slovenia)
Matches – 12 (International matches, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 60;
Average yellow cards per match – 5;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 17%.
Tottenham vs. Villarreal: Match Prediction
Both teams rarely appear in the Champions League, so they are eager to make the most of this opportunity, as there's no guarantee they'll reach the main stage of the tournament next year. Interestingly, both clubs, when they do qualify for the autumn stage of the Champions League, tend to advance to the knockout rounds, thanks to their strong attacking play.
Tottenham has failed to score in only 3 of their last 19 home matches in the Champions League. Meanwhile, Villarreal has found the net in 5 of their last 6 away games in this tournament. Based on the current form of both teams in their national leagues, the English and Spanish sides are likely to score again.
My prediction: Both teams to score – yes
