Villarreal v Maccabi Tel-Aviv background
Confirmed as winners of Group A after a 3-2 win during Astana on matchday five, Villarreal will be anticipating to say their dominant record in a territory by to a finish as they perform bottom bar Maccabi Tel-Aviv.
• Although already eliminated, a Israeli side have an design of their possess – to find a net for a initial time in a organisation and so equivocate apropos a initial organisation ever to go by a UEFA Europa League organisation theatre though scoring.
Previous meetings
• The sides came face to face for a initial time on matchday two, drawing 0-0 in Netanya; that is a usually indicate Maccabi have mustered from their 5 Group A encounters.
• In their usually prior tie opposite a Spanish team, Maccabi mislaid 3-2 divided and afterwards drew 1-1 opposite Tenerife in a 1996/97 UEFA Cup initial round. Villarreal had never formerly met Israeli opposition.
Form guide
• Villarreal are dominant in 6 European matches (W4 D2). However, after winning all 7 home fixtures in a 2015/16 UEFA Europa League, they have been winning in usually 3 of a 7 European fixtures they have hosted over a past dual seasons (D1 L3).
• Maccabi won all 4 of their divided fixtures in this season’s subordinate proviso though surrender a goal, though have mislaid their dual organisation games on a highway though scoring.
• Semi-finalists in 2015/16, Villarreal are featuring in a fourth uninterrupted UEFA Europa League organisation stage. As in a prior 3 campaigns, they have safely done it by to a turn of 32.
• Indeed, Villarreal have been successful in all 8 of their UEFA Cup or UEFA Europa League organisation theatre participations and now reason a record of surpassing from their UEFA Europa League organisation on 6 occasions.
• Maccabi have come by from a initial subordinate turn to a organisation theatre for a second unbroken season. They were joining and crater runners-up in Israel final term.
• Maccabi are competing in their fourth UEFA Europa League organisation stage. Only once previously, in 2013/14, did they swell to a turn of 32.
Links and trivia
• The tour from Tel Aviv to Villarreal is around 3,200km.
• Villarreal reason a UEFA Europa League organisation theatre to final annals for many games played (59), many wins (33) and many goals scored (103). They are a usually bar to have reached a century of goals in a competition.
• Maccabi have unsuccessful to measure in a initial 5 matchdays; no UEFA Europa League member has left by a whole organisation theatre though a goal, 6 clubs carrying managed only one.
• Maccabi are one of 3 teams to have come all a approach from initial subordinate turn to organisation theatre this season, along with Crvena zvezda and Skënderbeu.
• Former team-mates:
Villarreal’s Pablo Fornals and Maccabi’s Yegor Filipenko (Málaga 2015–16)
Villarreal’s Andrés Fernández and Maccabi’s Jean-Sylvain Babin (Granada 2015–16)
• Babin has represented 4 clubs in Spain (Lucena 2008–10, Alcorcón 2010–14, Granada 2014–16, Gijón 2016–17). Team-mate Omer Atzily was during Granada in 2016/17.
• Suspended from subsequent compare if booked: Jaume Costa (Villarreal); Nick Blackman and Dor Peretz (Maccabi)
The coaches
• Javier Calleja took over as Villarreal’s new manager after Fran Escribá’s exclusion on 25 September. He represented a bar as a actor from 1999 to 2006, and returned as a girl manager after unresolved adult his boots. He was coaching a B organisation when he was called on to reinstate Escribá.
• Jordi Cruyff took over as Maccabi trainer in 2017 after 5 years as a club’s sporting director. The son of Dutch good Johan Cruyff, he played for Barcelona and Manchester United and reached a 2001 UEFA Cup final with Alavés. He also played for a Netherlands during EURO ’96.