Villarreal – PSG

The best team in Europe will win in Spain

Villarreal finished third in La Liga last season, behind Barcelona and Real Madrid. The Yellow Submarine fell well short of those clubs and did not compete with them, but they managed to overtake Atlético Madrid by taking advantage of the capital side’s involvement in the Champions League. Villarreal’s success was the result of confident performances against mid-table teams and relegation candidates in the Spanish championship. The team lost practically all of its matches against Real Madrid, Barcelona, Betis, and Atlético Madrid. Doubts about Villarreal’s true level were also raised by the club’s performance in the Champions League. The team did not merely perform poorly in the league phase — it was thoroughly embarrassed, earning just one point in eight rounds. Villarreal have already started this season’s campaign in Europe’s premier tournament much better, beating Napoli and earning the three points available for that victory. However, the Yellow Submarine’s supporters have little to be proud of. In their other two Champions League matches, Villarreal lost to Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund, although not without a fight, conceding a total of seven goals. In the Spanish championship, Iñigo Pérez’s side have performed even more modestly, collecting just over a third of the available points after eleven rounds. On Friday, Villarreal hosted Espanyol at their stadium as clear favorites. The Catalans not only secured an acceptable result at the Cerámica, but also took all three points back to Catalonia. All of this creates a very gloomy mood ahead of the meeting with the best team in Europe over the past two seasons. PSG will arrive in Spain on a nine-match winning streak. Luis Enrique has successfully overcome the motivational crisis that affected the start of the season. Despite serious struggles in August and early September, the team has regained its level of play, underlining its elite status with victories over Manchester City and Barcelona. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s serious injury will undoubtedly affect PSG’s prospects this season, but the squad’s depth makes it possible to minimize the consequences of the Georgian’s absence. The two opponents are difficult to compare in terms of squad potential and quality, so betting on an away victory seems the obvious choice.