Villarreal at Mirandes: Copa del Rey Gamethread

It’s time for a VILLARREAL MATCHDAY! Huge game today, arguably our biggest of the season thus far as we seek to book a spot in the Copa del Rey semi-finals. Despite being on the road we are absolutely the favorites today, and have no one to look to but ourselves if we do not win. Here’s the landscape, Granada beat Valencia yesterday on the back of a Roberto Soldado brace, which means that if we can get through second tier Mirandes we have a 50% chance of drawing them for a chance to go to the final.

Not that we are getting ahead of ourselves. Mirandes did not get lucky in beating Sevilla 3-1, and they’ve beaten two La Liga teams in this Copa run already. they are dangerous. It is of utmost importance that we come out ready to battle from the opening kick, something we haven’t done very well lately, and it is essential that we quiet what will be a raucous crowd. If we think this is a big match for us, how much bigger would a Copa semi-final be to our second tier foes? Nothing short of our best will honor our opponents or be worthy of the occasion.

Lineups:

Villarreal: Andrés; Mario, Funes Mori, Sofian, Quintillà; Cazorla, Iborra, Anguissa, Ontiveros, Samu and Gerard.

Bench: Barbosa; Peña, Moi, Trigueros, Bacca, Paco, Fer.

Mirandés: Limones; Sergio, Odei, Peña, Rey, Merquelanz, Malsa, González, Franquesa, Sánchez and Matheus.

Bench: Lizoain, Kijera, Joaquín, Mario Barco, Íñigo Vicente, Marcos André y Guridi.

Note that Franquesa is on loan from Villarreal B, and Merquelanz is on loan from Real Sociedad—he’s the guy we’ve been warned about when it comes to freekicks. This is the same lineup they started against Sevilla, btw.

Javi Calleja said this morning that he thinks this is a very even tie, and it should be quite a match with a big crowd at their Anduva ground.

Endavant Villarreal!! A guanyar!!