Villarreal kick off their European campaign against Tottenham, reigning Europa League champions (Tuesday, 9pm CEST)
Villarreal CF return to the Champions League. The Yellow Submarine will once again hear the iconic anthem of world football this Tuesday at 9pm CEST in London. The stage is the spectacular Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where they will face a top-class opponent, the current UEFA Europa League champions.
The groguets come into the match following their clash with Atlético de Madrid in Matchday 4 of LaLiga EA Sports, where they were beaten 2-0 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. It was their first defeat of the season after a promising start that included a draw at Celta (1-1) and home wins over Girona (5-0) and Real Oviedo (2-0).
Tottenham Hotspur, Villarreal’s opponents, have won three of their opening league matches. They currently sit third in the Premier League after defeating West Ham away (0-3) last weekend. They also beat Burnley (3-0) in their home opener and Manchester City (0-2) on the road. Only Bournemouth in the league and PSG in the UEFA Super Cup have managed to beat the London side so far this season.
An unprecedented official duel
Although both clubs are regulars in European competition, Villarreal and Tottenham have never met in an official match. The Yellow Submarine have previously faced other English sides including Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Everton.
Tottenham Hotspur are competing in Europe’s elite competition for the seventh time in their history, six of those in the last decade. In 2019/20, the Londoners reached the Champions League final, losing 2-0 to Liverpool.
World-class attackers
Both Tottenham and Villarreal possess top attacking talent. So far this season, Richarlison, Brennan Johnson, and Kudus have stood out for the English side—Richarlison and Johnson with two goals each, and Kudus with two assists.
New signings Kolo Muani and Xavi Simons are also expected to feature, adding even more firepower to Spurs’ attack.
For Villarreal, Nicolas Pepe and Tajon Buchanan have been in excellent form, scoring two and three goals respectively. Georges Mikautadze, who made his debut against Atlético de Madrid, and Ayoze Pérez, who also featured against Los Colchoneros, are back in the squad. Their return gives Marcelino’s side a boost, as they recover the top Spanish goalscorer in Europe’s leagues in 2025.
