Match Pack: Villarreal CF vs Athletic Club (LaLiga MD12)
Match Pack: Villarreal CF vs Athletic Club (LaLiga MD12)
Los Leones head to the Estadio de la Cerámica as they return to LaLiga action after progressing in the Copa
Athletic Club travel to Castellon where they face Villarreal CF with the aim of taking all three points and strengthening their grip on a European spot.
The Lions and the Yellows will go toe-to-toe at the Estadio de la Cerámica, a tough place to pick up a result. Villarreal had a poor start to the season which saw them replace Quique Setien with current coach Pacheta. Their form has improved since then and they are currently 13th in the table.
With both sides having a lot riding on the match, we can expect a competitive and entertaining affair.
Match Info
Villarreal CF vs Athletic Club
Estadio de la Ceramica, Castellon
LaLiga EA Sports 23/24 (Matchday 12)
Sunday November 5, 18:30 CET
How to Watch
Find out when and where to watch Sunday's LaLiga EA Sports clash
Team News
Valverde will take 22 players to Castellón.
Yeray Álvarez, Yuri Berchiche and Ander Herrera are all in the treatment room, while Nico Williams and Aitor Paredes are back in the fold after sitting out the Copa win over UE Rubí.
Hugo Rincón has been called up from Bilbao Athletic as cover.
Valverde's Comments
The boss is optimistic Athletic can get back to winning ways on the road with a strong performance at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
The Opponents
Head coach: Pacheta
José 'Pacheta' Rojo Martín took over from Quique Setien midway through September after a run of three losses in four matches had left Villarreal close to the relegation zone. After hanging up his boots in 2004, Pacheta moved into coaching in 2009. His first job was with Numancia and he has led several clubs since.
Before moving to Castellón, his most recent job was at Real Valladolid, where he spent a couple of seasons from 2021 until April 2023.
Top goalscorer: Gerard Moreno
After a couple of campaigns in which he has struggled with form and injuries, Gerard Moreno seemed to have found his goalscoring boots again. So far this season, the left-footed striker has six goals in nine appearances, four of those strikes coming in Villarreal's last three matches.
The Spain international's best LaLiga return came in 2020/21 when he scored 23 times in 33 games.
Recent form: LDLDW
The Yellows are still finding their feet after a slow start to the season. Since Pacheta came in they have managed two wins, three draws and two losses. Their most recent outing was a 2-3 away win over Granada CF.
Previous Meetings
A relatively recent LaLiga fixture, the first top-flight clash between Athletic and Villarreal took place at 'El Madrigal' in 1998/99, with Los Leones winning 0-1 thanks to an Ismael Urzaiz strike.
We've played each other 46 times in LaLiga and Athletic have registered 13 wins, 15 draws and 18 losses.
The Zurigorri have struggled on their trips to Castellon, only winning three of our 23 matches at La Ceramica. We've come away with a point on eight occasions and lost the remaining 12.
Our last five matches against the Yellows show how tight the fixtures are: four draws and one loss.
The Zurigorri's most recent LaLiga win over Villarreal away from Bilbao came in the 2017/18 campaign. Iñigo Córdoba, Iñaki Williams and Iker Muniain were on the scoresheet as Athletic romped to a 1-3 victory.