Can Villarreal’s early-season momentum unsettle Racing Santander?

Villarreal CF begin their 2026-27 Liga campaign away to newly promoted Racing Santander on Sunday, with the visitors expected to make a strong start after finishing third last season.

The match at El Sardinero in Santander is scheduled for 15:00 GMT on 16 August 2026. Nasser Eddy, a consultant for NCI Sport and presenter of the European Champions League on Radio Nostalgie, has provided his assessment and predictions for the opening-day fixture.

Racing Santander are returning to Spain’s top flight after 14 years in the lower divisions and their priority will be to secure survival. The “Verdiblancos” have attempted to strengthen their squad, adding defender Facundo Gonzalez from Juventus, goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala from Athletic Club, forward Asier Villalibre from Alaves and striker Yassir Zabiri, who was signed from Stade Rennais for €9m, among others.

Manager Jose Alberto Lopez and his players used seven friendlies between the final 10 days of July and early August to build their understanding. Their results were mixed, with two wins, two draws and three defeats, while they scored seven goals and conceded 11.

That record offers little reassurance, particularly as Racing kept only one clean sheet during the sequence. Their goals total is also somewhat misleading: four of the seven came against Segunda Division side Sporting Gijon, leaving just three goals across the other six matches. That represents a sharp contrast with last season, when Racing finished as Liga 2’s leading scorers with 90 goals in 42 matches.

The promoted side have also conceded the opening goal in each of their last six matches in which they have let in a goal. That weakness could be exposed by a Villarreal attack which has shown a tendency to strike early.

Villarreal aiming to build on third-place finish

Villarreal CF surprised by finishing third in Liga last season and face the challenge of matching that achievement, or improving on it, despite the presence of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona at the top of the division.

The “Yellow Submarine” have so far focused on retaining the core of their squad rather than conducting a major transfer-market overhaul. Their only announced signing is goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi from Leipzig. The other additions have mainly come through returning loan players, including Morocco international Ilias Akhomach, and five promotions from the club’s reserve team.

Villarreal have also kept several of their most important players from last season. Winger Nicolas Pepe, midfielder Pape Gueye, defender Renato Veiga and forward Georges Mikautadze are all still at the club, which hopes to retain them until the transfer window closes in two weeks.

Marcelino’s team have produced contrasting results in pre-season. They recorded encouraging victories over PSV Eindhoven, winning 3-1, and Galatasaray, whom they beat 2-1 on 8 August. However, they also suffered defeats by RC Lens, losing 3-1, and Benfica, who won 2-0.

One notable trend is that six of Villarreal’s last seven goals have come in the first half. Ayoze Perez scored three of those goals inside the opening 10 minutes, underlining the possibility of another fast start at El Sardinero.

Pepe was one of Villarreal’s standout performers last season and was nominated among the five best players in Liga at the end of the 2025-26 campaign. The former Arsenal winger scored eight goals and supplied eight assists in 36 league appearances, missing only two matches.

His form effectively persuaded the Ivory Coast football authorities to select him for the recent World Cup, despite a disciplinary exclusion that had prevented him from taking part in the Africa Cup of Nations. He will now look to maintain that level during 2026-27, with the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast also in view.

Pepe provided an assist in Villarreal’s final pre-season match against Galatasaray and is expected to play a decisive role against Racing Santander.

The clubs have rarely met in recent seasons because Racing spent 14 years outside the top division. Their most recent meeting came in the Copa del Rey in December 2025, when Racing, then a Segunda Division side, caused a surprise by beating Villarreal 2-1. Juan Carlos Arana scored both goals to send the “Verdiblancos” into the last 16.

Across the nine most recent top-flight meetings between 2008 and 2012, Villarreal hold the advantage with four wins to Racing Santander’s one, while four matches ended in draws. Only once in the last 12 encounters has either side scored more than two goals in a game: Villarreal did so in November 2012, when both clubs were in the second tier.

Villarreal are priced at 2.26 to win and are considered likely to prevail unless there is a major upset. Racing are not expected to score, making “No” at 2.16 the recommendation in the both-teams-to-score market.

Villarreal are also priced at 1.79 to score first. Given their recent scoring pattern, that could happen early, with a Villarreal goal inside the opening 15 minutes available at 4.20.

Odds may change.