Villareal have an impressive record in the Europa League on paper and also in La liga
If we look first at La Liga. They've scored 42 goals all season there.... atletico have 59. Villareal have conceded 31.
That's 1.2 goals a game scored and 0.885 goals conceded
You've got to go down to 10th in la liga to find a lower goal scorer (malaga) even Rayo in 16th have scored more
This suggests to me that they don't score a lot but win their games effectively. 31 goals conceded include beating off barca, real and seville by 3 goals but they have also beaten real earlier in season.
What I am suggesting is we'll see a well organised team that won't go to town on us unless we give them gaps to exploit and we will not score easily.
I am hoping a chance to sturridge = a goal.
Now lets look at thier route to SF in europa.
QF: Prague 2-1 L1 4-2 L2 (6-3)
R16: Leverkusen 2-0 L1. 0-0 L2 (2-0)
R32: Napoli 1-0 L1, 1-1 L2 (2-1)
Group
Pizen 3-3
Rapid Wein 1-0
Minsk 2-1
Minsk 4-0
Pizen 1-0
Rapid wein 1-2
We had a poor group too... we really did poorly under rodgers and just did enough but this lot hammered two lower sides and actually their most impressive rounds are R32 and R16. In both they beat a good side ( Leverkusen who we know are CL team and napoli) they won their first legs then controlled the ties.
As i said above and i'm sticking to it. La liga form shows they are well organised, and they look like if they get a lead they will control the game. They look like they won't score many but will not concede either
As i said.. sturrdige chance - goal is what i'm hoping for. We cannot afford a lallana gets 4 chances and never hits target game.
We cannot afford to lose the away leg and rely on home game.
My team sniffing has come up with
Mingolet
Clyne Toure Lovern Moreno
Allen Lucas Milner
Lallana Sturrdige Coutinho
Firmino and benteke on bench.
I'm actually happy with that as it covers the CBs more and firmino does give it away a lot... here is hoping.
It might be totally wrong of course but there you go.
Thoughts on villareal
posted on 29/4/16
comment by Greatteamswinit4times- a terrible enemy (U6008)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by moreinjuredthanowen (U9641)
posted 30 minutes ago
we were awful.
I think it is interesting how klopp put ibe on at HT. that says to me he didn't think firmino would do a job for him wide and he went for minimum disruption to defensive system rather than to have best team.
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I think it says more about what he thought sturridge wouldn't bring. Firmino brings as much, if more defensively than coutinho.
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so why not shift him over to LW and put on sturridge... firmino didn't do much last night.
posted on 29/4/16
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 29/4/16
Not sure why firmino is getting the stick, lallana ibe & coutinho were all dreadful, sure firmino went wide alot but somebody should have moved into his space, sturridge also goes wide alot to pick up the ball aswell, its fine aslong as someone then moves into the forward role while hes out there, which they didnt do last night
posted on 29/4/16
I guess it wasn't the walkover you guys though it would be
posted on 29/4/16
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 29/4/16
He wont be able to
posted on 29/4/16
comment by Pride of the North (U6803)
posted 1 day ago
You should win this game and tie with ease, can't see you bottling it
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there's one
posted on 29/4/16
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 29/4/16
pride if you bohtered read the op it didn't say easy anywher.
it actually went as expected largely but 0-0 would have been desired
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On sturridge... he is 6 fott 2 inch. the ball kept coming right back from firmino on any clearance. the lad did ok when he got it more or less.
Coutinho was sick and it did show big time.
the discussion was not on the first pick but the lack of putting him on...
and my point was.. .again... it looks to me like firmino out wide is not what klopp wants in defense. he was happy to have him up there doing not much bar legging it about but he did not want him in wide areas defending. He put on ibe to basically track on the left and left lallana on to track on the right.
it was all about the defense not about scoring.
posted on 29/4/16
"They look like they won't score"
Taken straight from the op