Match Thread: Levski Sofia - Villarreal

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