Villarreal-Getafe Copa del Rey PREVIEW

Villarreal: First of all, the team call for the match:

Keepers: Juan Carlos, Asenjo.
Defenders: Mario, Rukavina, Jaume Costa, Víctor Ruiz, Dorado, Gabriel.
Midfielders: Trigueros, Bruno, Jonathan dos Santos, Pina, Moi Gómez, Cheryshev,  Nahuel.
Strikers: Vietto, Gerard Moreno, Giovani.

Mateo Musacchio is unavailable due to his red card in the last Copa match, and Ike Uche is being rested, as he was in the last match.  Adrian Marin is still recovering from injury (though he does have a new puppy).  Seriously.

More to the point, Nahuel makes the squad again.  Remember the last round we were at home and we went with Gabriel and Dorado at the back, Mario and Jaume Costa as fullbacks, Antonio Rukavina and Moi on the wings and Jonathan dos Santos and Pina in the pivote, with Gio and Gerard up front.

That created chances but no goals; it took Cheryshev's introduction to break the deadlock.  And since he scored last week as well, might he get a start?  What about Bruno?

I'm thinking maybe: Asenjo; Mario, Dorado, Gabriel, Jaume Costa; Moi, Trigueros, Pina, Nahuel; Gio and Gerard.

Getafe: Their team is

Keepers: 1. Jona; 13. Codina.

Defenders: 3. Roberto Lago; 4. Velázquez; 5. Naldo; 12. A. Arroyo; 18. Escudero; 27. Vigaray.

Midfielders: 6. Sammir;10. Sarabia; 11. Yodá; 14. Pedro León; 17. D. Castro; 22. J. Rodríguez; 23. Freddy; 32. Emi; 36. Alex Felip.

Strikers: 9. Álvaro; 26. Ivi.

Lacen, one of their best players, is off at the African Cup of Nations, and Lafita and Babacar Diawara are injured, so Sammir, Sarabia, and Pedro León would appear to be the danger men.  León was quoted today as saying Getafe really needs to worry about the league more than the cup anyway.  Probably true, but that won't stop them trying to keep us from knocking them out.

Keys to the match: It's pretty simple, really.  Villarreal have two main objectives.  First, score multiple goals.  Second, keep Getafe off the scoresheet.  The third is a combination of these two, hopefully--win by multiple goals.  3-1 would be good, 2-0 would be better....

Villarreal is excited about this, so expect a good crowd tomorrow evening at El Madrigal to cheer the Submarine on.  If Villarreal can score early, especially if they could score say two goals in the first half, that might take the wind out of Getafe's sails.

But remember that when these two teams met in El Madrigal in the league, the Submarine led 2-0 at halftime, and Getafe pulled a goal back and could perhaps have equalized.  On the other hand, Cosmin Contra was their coach then , and I think he did a good job for them; Quique Sanchez Flores has just come in.  And Lacen is a big loss for them.

Prediction: Our last couple of matches we have dominated on the pitch rather more than on the scoreboard.  I'm thinking maybe this is the match where the scoreline is rather more reflective of the play.  Villarreal 3 Getafe 1.

Note that the match will be televised here in the US on beinsport.  There should be plenty of streams as well, plus Radio Vila-real's commentary as well.  ENDAVANT!!!  TO THE SEMIFINALS!!