Villarreal backed by groguets in Vitoria as club hopes for away Champions League opener | OneFootball

Villarreal completed their run of three straight away fixtures to start the campaign at Mendizorroza, with a sizeable travelling support making themselves heard in Vitoria.

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, the club hopes the first Champions League match, scheduled between six and eight September, will be away, coinciding with Vila-real’s fiestas and falling between home dates against Deportivo de la Coruña and Betis.

Yellow shirts dotted the city centre from midday as groups ate together and built the pre-match mood before heading to Mendizorroza. The welcome was clear from the team’s arrival at Vitoria airport and later at the hotel.

Supporters waited for photos and autographs, with Alavés-supporting children among them. The scene repeated at half past seven when the squad left the hotel for the stadium, and Nathan Saliba stood out as he made his first Villarreal matchday squad.

There was a warm reunion too, as Denis Suárez caught up with former team-mates and club staff before kick-off.

Much of the board travelled, led by president Fernando Roig and chief executive Fernando Roig Negueroles, who flew direct from Monaco after attending the Champions League draw.

On Saturday the kick-off times and order of fixtures will be confirmed. La Cerámica will host PSG, Manchester United, Napoli and Sabah, while the away trips are to Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund, Fenerbahçe and Slavia Prague.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo

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