Villarreal CF will look to claim their first victory of the season in the UEFA Champions League against Pafos FC (Wednesday, 6:45pm CET)
Villarreal CF travel to Cyprus eager to pick up their first win of the season in the always demanding UEFA Champions League. The Yellow Submarine face Pafos FC (Wednesday, 6:45pm CET), a side making their debut in Europe’s elite competition and also chasing their first-ever victory in this prestigious tournament.
The Submarine switch to Champions League mode sitting third in LaLiga after a fantastic start to the season, having earned 23 points from a possible 33. Things have been tougher, however, in the Champions League, where the Yellows have faced three European heavyweights: Tottenham (1-0), Juventus (2-2) and Manchester City (0-2). One point against the Italian side is Villarreal’s tally so far.
Now, the calendar pairs Villarreal with sides more in their own ‘league’—teams who, like the Submarine, will be fighting to finish among the top 24 and earn a place in the next phase of the Champions League. The road begins with a win in Pafos and showing their best version in the remaining four group fixtures: Borussia Dortmund (away), Copenhagen (home), Ajax (home) and Bayer Leverkusen (away).
Pafos, a debutant enjoying life at Europe’s top table
The Cypriot side, founded in 2014, are the reigning league champions in their country. They also lifted the cup last season, the first trophy in their history. Despite representing a city of just 36,000 inhabitants, the modest Pafos play their Champions League home games at the Limassol Stadium, a virtually new venue inaugurated, like the revamped Estadio de la Cerámica, in December 2022.
In their first three continental fixtures, Pafos have earned two valuable draws against Olympiacos (0-0) and Kairat Almaty (0-0). In their only home match so far, German giants FC Bayern handed them a heavy defeat (1-5). With two points to their name, the Cypriot side are dreaming of their first-ever win in the UEFA Champions League.
