“A very difficult place to play in the Champions League” – Villarreal visit Dortmund | OneFootball

The disappointing results in the Champions League so far, with a draw against Juventus (2-2) and three defeats against Tottenham Hotspur (1-0), Manchester City (2-0) and Pafos FC (1-0) have left Villarreal in a tight spot. Without a quick turnaround, the team, currently 32nd in the table, are staring down an early exit from the competition.

In particular, the surprise defeat on Matchday 4 against underdogs Pafos in Cyprus was a painful setback in their efforts to at least secure 24th place – the minimum target for qualifying for the knockout stages. Nevertheless, coach Marcelino did not want to talk about an endgame: “If we win here, it doesn’t mean we’ll definitely reach the next stage. And if we lose, we’re not definitely out yet.” Midfielder Santiago Comesaña sees it similarly: “I don’t think we should put pressure on ourselves to see the game as a final. It’s a stadium that’s very well known for its atmosphere. We just want to enjoy that.”

The recent strong performances in the domestic league have boosted confidence. “We’ve won at more difficult venues, even though Dortmund is a very difficult place to play in the Champions League,” said Comesaña, “we know we have what it takes to win the game. It wouldn’t be crazy to win here.” Regardless of the international results so far, coach Marcelino also believes the team can stay in the competition beyond the league phase: “We are very confident that we can make it into the top 24 teams. We are in very good shape.”

Borussia would be well advised not to underestimate their opponents. A glance at the La Liga table alone makes it clear that a challenging task lies ahead. With 29 points, the “Submarino amarillo” (yellow submarine), as Villarreal CF are known due to their yellow shirts, are in third place and thus within striking distance of the leading pack of Barcelona (31) and Real Madrid (32).

In 13 league games so far, they have only suffered two defeats, against Atlético Madrid (2-0) and Real Madrid (3-1). The team’s strong point is in defence: together with Atlético Madrid, Villarreal have the best defensive record in the league, conceding only 11 goals. BVB coach Niko Kovac is also impressed by the Spaniards’ “very good transition play”. The dress rehearsal for the game in Dortmund was successful thanks to a late goal from Tani Oluwaseyi (83) last Saturday at home against RCD Mallorca (2-1). “Things are going very well in the league. We’re not doing badly in the Champions League, but we’re not getting the results. What we do every weekend, we should also do in the middle of the week,” said Comesaña.

Another warning sign for BVB: the 2021 Europa League winners, who reached the Champions League semi-finals in both 2006 and 2022, seem to enjoy playing against German opponents. They have lost only three of their last 14 games against Bundesliga sides. In their last such encounter in the 2021/22 quarter-finals, they knocked Bayern out of the Champions League. Nevertheless, coach Marcelino expressed great respect for the Bundesliga: “We expect a very intense game. All German teams play at a high level.”