Villarreal are on the cusp of securing Champions League football for the second consecutive season, as they solidified their grip on third place in the La Liga standings. Following their most recent win against Athletic Bilbao (2-1), the Yellow Submarine now have 61 points, which gives them a four-point cushion over fourth-seeded Atletico Madrid and a 15-point cushion over the fifth seed.
Marcelino Garcia Toral’s men are poised to tack on more points this Thursday, as they have a winnable away game against relegation-bound Real Oviedo. If they take care of business, Villarreal’s fans could get giddier as the 2025-26 campaign winds down.
Their success is by no means an accident because it has been a collective effort. Although they’re still miles away from disrupting the Barcelona-Real Madrid duopoly, at least they’ve improved to a Top 4 contender, rather than a mid-table side.
Villarreal made the right moves in the transfer market
Villarreal did not rest on their laurels after securing their return to the Champions League last season, as they rejigged their squad during the summer transfer window. Some of their notable moves include the additions of Alberto Moleiro, Georges Mikautadze, Thomas Lemar, Tajon Buchanan, Renato Veiga, Tani Oluwaseyi, and Santiago Mouriño. They’ve also let go of Arnaut Danjuma, Denis Suarez, Eric Bailly, and Raul Albiol, while cashing in on Yeremy Pino, Etta Eyong, Alex Baena, and Thierno Barry. And veteran left-back Alfonzo Pedraza is confirmed to leave the club for Lazio this summer.
As it turns out, the Yellow Submarine didn’t have enough depth to compete on several fronts, as they finished nearly at the bottom of the Champions League phase and were knocked out earlier than expected by Racing in the Copa del Rey Round of 32. However, this may be a blessing in disguise for Villarreal, as their early cup exits reduced their matches, giving them enough legs to secure positive La Liga 2026 results.
Looking at their schedule, Villarreal have seven league matches left, and five of their seven opponents are in the bottom half of the Spanish top-flight table. They have an easier remaining schedule compared to fellow Top 4 hopefuls Atletico Madrid, Real Betis, and Celta Vigo, per the SBOTOP La Liga 2026 odds.
Who are this season’s top performers for Villarreal?
With Alex Baena, Yeremy Pino, and Thierno Barry sold, and Ayoze Perez hampered by injuries, offseason signings Alberto Moleiro and Georges Mikautadze were among those who stepped up for the Yellow Submarine this season. Moleiro and Mikautadze are Villarreal’s joint-top scorers with nine goals each and nine assists combined, accounting for nearly one-third of their goal total this term. At 56 goals, they boast the third-best offence in La Liga.
Gerard Moreno has had a bounce-back campaign, as the 34-year-old skipper is Villarreal’s second-leading scorer with eight goals. Santi Comesana is level with Mikautadze with five assists and has three goals. Tajon Buchanan has six goals. Nicolas Pepe, a former Arsenal bust, has five goals and four assists. Pape Gueye has four goals and two assists.
With Juan Foyth out indefinitely due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, Renato Veiga, Pau Navarro, Santiago Mouriño, and Sergi Cardona have stepped up and formed an underrated rearguard, with Luiz Junior between the sticks. Cardona and Mouriño add to the Yellow Submarine’s attack with five assists. Luiz Junior has seized the No. 1 spot this season, and the 23-year-old shot stopper already has eight clean sheets.
What lies ahead for the Yellow Submarine
Right now, Villarreal are focused on locking their Champions League place next season. Given how they bombed out of the European showpiece event, they are surely determined to do much better than their 35th-placed finish in the league phase.
However, the Yellow Submarine have bigger concerns, as Marcelino Garcia Toral’s contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 campaign. According to local reports, Villarreal had opened talks with him over a new deal. But the negotiations have bogged down because La Ceramica officials were only prepared to offer a 12-month renewal rather than a multiyear extension, and the 60-year-old tactician has been linked to several Premier League vacancies, with Newcastle United and Crystal Palace being the notable options. If Marcelino, indeed, leaves the Yellow Submarine, Villarreal have reportedly named Girona’s Michel and former Real Sociedad boss Imanol Alguacil as his top replacements. Michel has outperformed expectations over the course of his Girona stint, which includes an eyebrow-raising third-place finish in 2023-24. Alguacil’s move to the Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab was short and unsuccessful, but he has a proven track record at Real Sociedad.
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