Iñigo Pérez era begins as Villarreal visit Racing at El Sardinero | OneFootball

Iñigo Pérez makes his Villarreal debut on Sunday at El Sardinero, where they face Racing Santander at 17.00. LaLiga begins after a promising pre-season, with Marcelino García Toral having set a high bar over the last two and a half seasons.

El Periódico Mediterráneo reports the squad is largely unchanged from last season’s third place. Carlos Romero and Ilias Akhomach return from loans, Péter Gulácsi arrives to compete with Luiz Júnior, and academy pair Alassane Diatta and 17-year-old Carlos Maciá step up.

Barely seen through injury last term, Logan Costa and Willy Kambwala bolster centre-back. Departures are Dani Parejo, Alfonso Pedraza, Thomas Partey, Rafa Marín, Diego Conde and Arnau Tenas.

Pérez set out a proactive plan, keeping the ball, pushing full-backs high and pressing to force play in Racing’s half. He hopes to open with a win against José Alberto López’s newly promoted side, who attack but concede.

Top-flight football returns to El Sardinero after 14 years. Racing chase survival, buoyed by Sergio Canales’s homecoming and the retention, for now, of Gustavo Puerta, Asier Villalibre, Iñigo Vicente, Andrés Martín, Facu González and Jorge Salinas, plus goalkeeper Julen Agirrezebala from Athletic.

Probable Villarreal XI: Luiz Júnior, Mouriño, Foyth, Renato Veiga, Carlos Romero, Pape Gueye with Maciá or Comesaña, Moleiro, Nico Pepe, Mikautadze and Gerard Moreno or Ayoze Pérez.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”