Villarreal face Bayer Leverkusen in their final European fixture of the season (Wednesday, 9pm CET)
Villarreal will bring the current Champions League campaign to a close at the BayArena. The Yellows take on Bayer Leverkusen this Wednesday at 9pm CET, in what will be their final continental night of the season.
The clash in Germany will mark the end of a bittersweet European journey for the Submarine — one that will be remembered for the exciting return to Europe’s elite competition three years on, and for an unforgettable Champions League night against Juventus at the Estadio de la Cerámica (2-2).
However, it will also be recalled for tough defeats against Pafos, Copenhagen and Ajax, as well as the bitter disappointment of being eliminated prematurely and losing any chance of reaching the next round. In short, a Champions League campaign that has been unfair and cruel, as Marcelino stated after the match against Ajax, despite an extraordinary group of players who have delivered the best first half of a league season in the club’s history in LALIGA EA Sports.
In Leverkusen, Bayer will be playing for qualification in front of their own fans. Villarreal, meanwhile, will be playing for pride — aiming to close their Champions League campaign with a victory at an imposing and always challenging stadium that nonetheless brings back fond memories.
Bayer Leverkusen, a familiar foe for Villarreal CF
Although this Champions League campaign has brought plenty of first-time match-ups for Villarreal — against opponents such as Tottenham Hotspur, Borussia Dortmund, Pafos, Copenhagen and Ajax — this will not be the case when facing Bayer Leverkusen in European competition.
The Yellows have previously crossed paths with the German side in two knockout ties, both in the Europa League, and with very positive outcomes. In the 2010/11 season, the Groguets defeated Leverkusen (2-3) at the BayArena to secure a place in the round of 16. In the 2015/16 campaign, with Marcelino at the helm, the teams met once again in the Europa League and the Submarine earned a 0-0 draw that once more proved enough to progress to the next round.
