Panathinaikos’ UEL opponents preview: Villarreal CF

Panathinaikos’ UEL opponents preview: Villarreal CF


By Nikolas Fil 


Panathinaikos is set to face French side Rennes, Israeli Champions Maccabi Haifa and the 2021 Europa League winners Villarreal. 


Today we are gonna preview Panathinaikos' clash with the Yellow Submarine, while we are also gonna talk about key players from Villarreal’s squad. 


Despite selling Nicolas Jackson, Pau Torres and Samuel Chukwueze for a combined 90 million euros fee, Villarreal still has a quality roster, where they add the likes of Alexander Sorloth, Ben Brereton Diaz and Ilias Akhomach to it to make it even better.

 

Manager:Pacheta


José Rojo Martín or Pacheta is a Spanish football manager and former footballer. He started his playing career at Racing Lemeno but he’s more famous for his spell at Espanyol, where he made 118 appearances scoring 5 goals as a midfielder. 


In his managerial career he has managed numerous clubs including Heracles in the Netherlands and a great many of Spanish clubs like Huesca and Elche. In his last job as a Valladolid manager he was appointed in the summer of 2021 to help the club retain their top flight status, which he did finishing 2nd in the 2021/22 season. 


Still they sacked him in April of this year after poor results and a 6-0 defeat at the Bernabeu. In September 2023 Villarreal appointed him to replace former Barcelona coach Quique Setien.

 

Star Player:Gerard Moreno


Gerard Moreno is a 30 year old Spanish international footballer who plays for Villarreal as a striker. He began his professional career at Badalona before moving to Villarreal to play for their U19 and C team. 


He moved to Mallroca on loan in the 2013/14 season where he made 31 appearances scoring 11 goals, before moving to Espanyol permanently in 2015. 


From 2015 to 2018 Moreno made 107 appearances for the Catalan club scoring 36 goals. In 2018 he moved back to Villarreal where so far has made 145 appearances scoring 66 goals. 


He’s Villarreal’s third most valuable player behind only, wonderkid Yeremi Pino and Argentine international Juan Foyth.

 

Past meetings


Panathinaikos and Villarreal faced each other in the 2008/09’s UCL round of 16, with Panathinaikos claiming a 1-1 draw at Ceramica but losing at OAKA 2-1 in the return leg.


Hellas Football 


Follow @BVBNikolas

 

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