Match Thread: Levski Sofia – Villarreal
Posted by maddi in Europa League, Gonzalo Rodríguez, Injury Update, Joseba Llorente, Match Previews, Match Thread, Santi Cazorla, Villarreal BFINAL: Levski 0-2 Villarreal (Villarreal advance to knockout stage).
- Courtesy Marca.com and Jackson
Note* Match updates for Betis – Villarreal B are available in the comments below.
Namely because my body is not back on a proper schedule and I fell asleep at 7:30 last night, I wasn’t able to put up a proper preview for this match (and yes, the pictures and videos are coming, but probably not until Saturday). Needless to say, this is an absolutely must-win match for Villarreal, as they hope to slip by Lazio for second in the group and advancement to the knockout stages. Currently, Villarreal are barely in second in Group G, tied on six points with Lazio; the teams are even on goal differential, but Villarreal has the head to head advantage on goals between the two sides, which comes ahead of the club’s general goal differential, so if the teams end up level on points, Villarreal would advance.
Today’s match is against bottom-dwellers Levski Sofia, who have yet to score a goal in the group stage. They still have a remote outside chance of advancing, but only if quite a few miracles went their way, which is not going to happen.
Gonzalo is shockingly out for the match by way of suspension, so Fuentes found his way into the squad. Cazorla has returned, but whether or not he will play is completely up in the air. Llorente is out with gastroenteritis.
Goalkeepers: Diego López and Xavi Oliva.
Defenders: Fuentes, Marcano, Godin, Capdevila and Ángel.
Midfielders: Ibagaza, Bruno, David Fuster, Pires, Senna, Eguren, Cani, Cazorla and Escudero.
Forwards: Jonathan Pereira, Rossi and Nilmar.
Entries (RSS)
Reports from Sofia suggest that the starting eleven will be as follows:
Diego López and Xavi Oliva.
Defenders: Fuentes, Marcano, Godin, Capdevila and Ángel.
Midfielders: Ibagaza, Bruno, David Fuster, Pires, Senna, Eguren, Cani, Cazorla and Escudero.
Forwards: Jonathan Pereira, Rossi and Nilmar.
Sorry ignore post 1
Reports from Sofia suggest that the starting eleven will be as follows:
Diego López
Ângel, Marcano, Godin, Capdevila .
Ibagaza, Bruno, Eguren, Cani,
David Fuster,
Rossi
That looks to be the lineup, with the possible exception of Angel, that Valverde would probably like to go with most matches – quick and flowing. But I am not completely sure how Ibagaza and Fuster will work together, since they are pretty similar. I am looking forward to see how that group of players works together, as this will be a first time with that lineup.
Please, please, please, go to myvillarreal.com and check out the Christmas video starring Pires, Cazorla, Rossi, Diego Lopez, and Capdevila. You have to watch it….
Well we now have the actual line up and Valverde opts for a 4-1-3-1-1
Cazorla is the one omitted from the squad.
Diego López
Ângel, Marcano, Godin, Capdevila .
Eguren,
Ibagaza, Pires Escudero
David Fuster,
Rossi
That is a very fiesty lineup. 6 minutes in, 0-0.
For those interested, you should be able to find the match at rojadirecta.com. Otherwise, you can follow the score and major happenings here: http://www1.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/live/index.html
Tuned in. Don’t really like Rossi as a lone striker, he can’t produce his best stuff from there in my opinion
Capdevila should have put that one away, great delivery from Ibagaza. We’ve missed that these past weeks.
17′ 0-0 here and in Salzburg. A loss today by Lazio, coupled with a Villarreal win, and I believe that Villarreal will be through. Am I right on that?
36′ Goal Rossi!!! Not sure exactly what happened, but it developed off a free kick taken by Ibagaza after a foul committed against Rossi.
g.rossi w/gol
bah missed the goal! now lets have a clean sheet please!
HT, 0-1. In Salzburg, it is all even at 0-0 at half. Although Villarreal still arguably has a chance at first in the group, I think it would be best for everyone if they went ahead and took the group by beating Lazio, and thereby giving Villarreal the chance to clinch 2nd tonight.
yes, maddi. from the link you posted:
7.05 If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of all the group
matches, the following criteria are applied to determine the rankings (in
descending order):
a) higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the
teams in question;
b) superior goal difference from the group matches played among the teams
in question;
If we win and Lazio lose tonight: we lost 2-1 in Rome and won 4-1 at the Madrigal, so our +2 goal difference would send us through.
Well a draw in the other game is the worst result objectively, as we neither would clinch our spot nor have a chance at first in the group. But 3 teams on 12 points would make the tiebreaks very complicated, and it’s a crapshoot as to who would lose out.
50′ Yellow for Eguren.
And Salzburg scores!!!!! RBS 1-0 Lazio.
and salzburg have gone ahead 1-0 in 52′. as things stand right now, we are moving on in 2nd place with a match to spare.
Mierda. RBS 1-1 Lazio. Goal from Foggia in the 57th to even things up for Lazio.
foggia ties the match in salzburg. salzburg 1:1 lazio. let’s just take care of business here and worry about the rest later.
http://estaticos.marca.com/marcador/futbol/2009_10/europa_league/1a_fase/jornada_5/grupo_g/lso_vil/img/rossi2_300x184.jpg
61′ Cani in for Pires.
cani on for pires. like for like.
maddi, i’m just going to stop commenting. as long as we win, i won’t be totally annoyed with your usurping of my scoops.
also, villarreal B are taking it to betis. no goals yet, but a number of chances per the radio commentators. if they can pull it off, that would be a fantastic 3 points and catapult the team into the top 5 in segunda.
Sidarth, at your service. ;)
bad news for villarreal B: marco ruben off due to injury in 23′. but jeff montero is on, so there’s not much of a dropoff in terms of quality.
I’ve switched to watching the B game, far more exciting!
70′ Nilmar in for Fuster
betis let B off the hook on a counterattack.
nilmar on for the injured fuster, who the radio commentators think will be out for a couple of weeks. rossi slides into fuster’s position at the punta, nilmar alone up front. the sub would have been for rossi but for the injury.
78′ Red Bull Salzburg pulls back in the lead, 2-1.
Montero has a goal wrongly disallowed on an offside!
goal by jefferson montero disallowed, dubious call.
but goal for salzburg! we are going through once again.
81′ In an interesting move, Senna comes on for Rossi. It should now be a 4-4-1-1 with Pires and Cani on the wings on either side of Egurn and Senna, with Ibagaza sliding behind Nilmar.
84′ GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL!!!! Marcos Senna! In for his defense, and he puts the match away!!! 0-2.
gollllllllllllllllll by senna! just came on for rossi, great for him. 0:2 in 84′…it should be over.
Great save by Juan Carlos!!! Sergio Garcia with a close range header but great reactions from the keeper!
Ah 1-0 to Betis just on the stroke of half time! Emana played in over the top and a lovely finish followed. Full marks for his celebration in which he donned a mafia style hat! Unfortunate as we’ve coped alright. Betis are full of players who’ve played in the Primera. We’ve tried to play football and should have been 0-1 up. I’d say we can get back into it. I love this bunch of players, Perez, Montero, Cristobal, Matilla are all so so skillful and attack minded. Oriol is like a mini Capdevila!
emana scored for betis, beating a failed offside trap. 1:0 betis at the half. but B will score at least one, it’s just a question of keeping a clean sheet in the second half.
We are classified for the round of 32 as the second-place finisher in this group. Congratulations to Salzburg: a 100% record in this group is quite impressive. Good chance to rotate squad players for both teams in the final group game later this month.
Villarreal are victorious, 0-2, and we are only waiting for a final whistle in Salzburg to seal the deal for the knockout stages. It looks to be that Villarreal are through….
Now 2-0 to Betis, I missed the goal, again. Emana is running rampant in midfield and we’ve no real striker. It’s alternating between Bordas and Montero both who play deeper. As I speak Perez blasts over after a great run. Commentators seem very impressed with El Paraguayo!
Needs to work on his shooting though as he’s just blasted another one wide!!
Betis hit us on the counter 3-0, we just had a great chance before that but it was great attacking play from Betis
4-0 Emana again, these are the lessons that these young lads will have to learn. It’s tough for them
Fulltime, Betis 4:0 Villarreal B. But Marca only had good things to say about our filial. I wonder what Betis did to piss them off…
http://www.marca.com/2009/12/02/futbol/2adivision/1259787332.html
Betis’ owner (de Lopera) doesn’t speak to them as far as I’m aware! They’ve had their spats in the past
RECAP -> Levski 0 – Villarreal 2
Villarreal
4-2-3-1
López
Angel, Godin, Marcano, Capdevila
Eguren, Escudero
Pires (Cani 60″), Fuster (Nilmar 69″), Ibagaza
Rossi (Senna 80″) [/center]
Goals
0-1 Rossi @ 37″ (Assist Ibagaza)
0-2 Senna @ 84″ (Assist Cani)
Yellow Cards:
Levski -> Tasevski 52″
Villarreal -> Eguren 50″, Ibagaza 77″
Red Card:
None
.
Extented Game Highlights
http://videos.sapo.pt/zU4zpyrn1lt8HyEDFoIn