Previews
THU 15.09.2016
One of the most eagerly awaited moments of the season so far is here for RC Celta, Athletic Club and Villarreal CF. The LaLiga Santander trio will open their Europa League campaigns on Thursday evening with their sights set on an ambitious target: lifting the trophy for the first time.
Athletic will get the ball rolling. The Basques' clash with Sassuolo in Reggio Emilia kicks off at the Mapei Stadium – Citta del Tricolore at 19:00 CET. The Italians do not go into the game in the best of shape, having only picked up three of a possible nine points in Serie A. Ernesto Valverde's troops, by contrast, will have been boosted by their 1-0 win away to RC Deportivo at the weekend, secured courtesy of Raul Garcia's screamer.
It promises to be a very special night for Celta. The Galician outfit return to European action for the first time since 14 March 2007, when they were knocked out by Werder Bremen in the round of 16 of what was then the UEFA Cup. Their opponents are Standard Liege, who will host the match at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne at 21:05. The Belgians come into the encounter off the back of a 2-0 victory against Genk, while Eduardo Berizzo's men will be looking to turn around their poor start to the season, having lost their first three fixtures in LaLiga Santander.
Villarreal will also be getting their Europa League campaign underway at 21:05. They face FC Zurich at El Madrigal, backed by their fervent supporters who are dreaming of the perfect start in the tournament. The Swiss side are in high spirits after winning their last five matches in all competitions, while Fran Escriba's charges notched their first victory of the season last time out, beating Malaga CF 2-0. Prior to that triumph, the Yellow Submarine had only managed draws in their opening two league games of the campaign.
© LALIGA - 2016