Villarreal at Real Valladolid: La Liga Gamethread

What can we say? It has to be three points. It has to be three points for us and it has to be three points for them. No one wants a draw here. Sure, a draw brings us one point closer to Real Sociedad, but with only two matches left that’s not going to help. Sure, a point puts us three points above Celta but with our remaining two matches that’s not comforting either. Valladolid is gonna look at this match with us as their very best chance to be staying alive, and a draw doesn’t do squat for them, especially with Huesca’s win yesterday.

Lineups

With Samu and Foyth hurt, Mario suspended... I think we’re looking at our strongest available XI here. Some of you may have quibbles about Moi or Paco, I personally do not. I think this is the XI that needs to be on the field today, and it’s just a matter of whether they are ready to play.

I actually think we play some of our most controlled possession football when Moi is on the pitch. He tends to drop inside and help in buildup and thus not be a true winger, and Gerard does something similar so what we end up with is a bit of a midfield 5 in possession, with wingers available to press when we are in defense. It’s possible, I guess, that Emery could make this a flat 442 with Trigueros and Moi as the two wide men but neither of them is naturally a wide player so you might as well set it up as a three man midfield and and let Pedraza and Pena (who is a converted winger anyway) handle the width in attack.

Thoughts?

Like the lineup? Hate it?

Let us know your thoughts on the match below.