Villarreal visit one of the toughest grounds in the league (Saturday, 9pm CEST)
Villarreal CF head into the regional derby against Valencia CF full of excitement and motivation. The match will take place this Saturday at 9pm CEST at Mestalla, a fixture that always promises passion and intensity due to the atmosphere and rivalry between the two sides.
The Yellows move on from their recent 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League and shift their focus back to domestic competition. The Submarine visit Mestalla, undoubtedly one of the most difficult stadiums in Spain, where their last victory came back in 2017.
At the Valencian side’s ground, Villarreal will be looking to take all three points to stay in the UEFA Champions League spots. The Yellows currently sit third in LALIGA with 17 points. Valencia, meanwhile, will be keen to end a run of four matches without a win and boost their morale after a challenging start to the campaign. Carlos Corberán’s men are 14th in the table with nine points.
The desire to win against at Mestalla
Villarreal will be looking to put an end to a run of eight consecutive trips to Mestalla without a victory. Since the end of 2017, the Submarine’s visits have resulted in six defeats and two draws. That 2017 season, Villarreal came away with a 1-0 win thanks to a solitary strike from Carlos Bacca.
That goal from the Colombian forward sealed Villarreal’s third straight win at Mestalla, as they had also claimed victory in the two previous seasons, 2015/16 and 2016/17. The first of those was a convincing 2-0 win with Marcelino on the touchline.
In total, Villarreal have played 30 LALIGA EA Sports fixtures at Mestalla, with the record favouring Valencia, who have won 18 times, drawn six, and seen the Yellows win on five occasions.
Gerard Moreno reaches 300 appearances
If Gerard Moreno plays at Mestalla, it will mark his 300th appearance for Villarreal CF — a milestone achieved by only six other players in the club’s history: Manu Trigueros, Bruno Soriano, Mario Gaspar, Marcos Senna, Santi Cazorla and Rubén Gracia ‘Cani’.
The Catalan forward is one of the most iconic players in Villarreal’s history. The club’s all-time top scorer with 120 goals, the No.7 was instrumental in leading the Submarine to their UEFA Europa League triumph in 2021.
Gerard has scored three goals against Valencia, including a stunning first-time volley assisted by Cazorla in a 2-0 win at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
