Previews
WED 01.11.2017
Villarreal CF, Athletic Club and Real Sociedad play their fourth Europa League group stage fixture this Thursday, the outcome of which will be instrumental in determining the chances of the three LaLiga Santander teams progressing to the next round of the competition.
The action kicks off at 19:00 (CET), when Villarreal do battle for the top spot in Group A in the hope of taking a giant stride towards qualifying for the next round. They visit the current group leaders SK Slavia Prague, with Javi Calleja's charges having managed a 2-2 draw with the Czech outfit at the Estadio de la Ceramica on the last matchday. This left both teams level on five points at the top of the group. A win for either team in Prague would put the victors a hair's breadth away from a berth in the Round of 32.
Javi Calleja travels to the Czech Republic without two of his goalkeepers, Sergio Asenjo and Andres Fernandez, and without two of his defenders, Ruben Semedo and Jaume Costa. He will also be missing the firepower of the Turkish striker Enes Unal, who was sent out on loan to Levante until the end of the season.
Later on at 21:05 (CET), La Real will attempt to repeat the kind of display which they put in on the last matchday against FK Varder, this time hosting the Macedonian side at Anoeta. The 6-0 away victory by Eusebio Sacristan's men put them second in Group L on six points, three shy of the leaders, FC Zenit of Russia. Another win in San Sebastian against Varder would put Los Blanquiazules within touching distance of qualification for the next round, with the possibility that the result of the other game being played simultaneously in this group between Rosenborg BK and Zenit could aid their cause.
Athletic Club face a tougher proposition following their 2-2 draw against Swedish side Ostersunds FK. Jose Angel Ziganda's charges are currently third in their group after only taking two points from three games, a far cry from the seven points amassed by the Swedes at the top of the group and the six held by FC Zorya Luhansk of Ukraine in second. Another poor result at San Mames would see the Basque side all but eliminated, and they are in dire need of a victory to put the disappointments of the previous matches behind them.
Athletic will be without Iker Munian and Oscar de Marcos for the clash, but Aritz Aduriz and Iñaki Williams are available for selection, the latter having scored the equaliser in the previous match against Ostersund to rescue Athletic from heading into this match in what would have been an even trickier predicament.
© LALIGA - 2017