Villarreal v Astana background
Villarreal will demeanour to make a certain start in UEFA Europa League Group A as they face a reunion with Astana, a side they kick comprehensively 3 years ago.
Previous meetings
• The teams met in a 2014/15 UEFA Europa League play-offs, Marcelino’s Villarreal winning 3-0 opposite Stanimir Stoilov’s organisation in Astana and 4-0 in Spain. That home detriment is a heaviest in Astana’s European history.
• The line-ups for a final assembly in Villarreal on 28 Aug 2014 were:
Villarreal: Juan Carlos, Gaspar*, Pina, Musacchio, Vietto, Trigueros* (Bruno Soriano* 46), Jaume Costa* (MarÃn* 56), Moi Gómez (Leiva 64), Gabriel, Moreno, Espinosa.
Astana: Loginovski, Dmitrenko, Kéthévoama (Kojašević 77), Beysebekov*, Nuserbayev (Essame 62), Twumasi* (Kurdov 71), Zhukov, Dzholchiyev, Postnikov*, Shomko*, Cañas.
*registered to play in 2017/18 UEFA Europa League
• Astana also faced Atlético Madrid in a 2015/16 UEFA Champions League organisation stage, losing 4-0 in a Spanish collateral and sketch 0-0 in Kazakhstan. They have so conceded a total 8 unanswered goals in dual trips to Spain, and have nonetheless to win or measure in 4 encounters with Liga sides.
Form guide
• Villarreal have mislaid 3 of their final 5 European home games, many recently a 4-0 retreat to Roma in final season’s UEFA Europa League turn of 32 – their heaviest European home better to date.
• Kazakh champions Astana have won only one of their final 16 European divided matches (W1 D5 L10), triumphing 1-0 during Spartaks JÅ«rmala in this season’s UEFA Champions League second subordinate round.
• Semi-finalists in 2015/16 when they mislaid out to Liverpool, Villarreal are featuring in a fourth uninterrupted UEFA Europa League organisation stage, carrying progressed safely in any of a final three.
• Beaten by Celtic in a UEFA Champions League play-offs, Astana are personification group-stage football for a third unbroken season: UEFA Champions League in 2015/16, UEFA Europa League in 2016/17 and 2017/18.
Links and trivia
• The tour from Astana to Villarreal is around 5,500km.
• Astana’s Marin Tomasov assimilated 1860 Münich in 2012, only as Villarreal’s Antonio Rukavina was withdrawal a bar for Valladolid.
The coaches
• Villarreal manager given 2016, Fran Escribá was a girl actor during Valencia before creation his name aiding Quique Sánchez Flores during spells during Getafe, Valencia, Benfica and Atlético. He coached Elche and Getafe undisguised before holding a Villarreal job.
• Hired in 2014, Stanimir Stoilov has led Astana to 3 unbroken Kazakh titles. The former Bulgaria actor and manager enjoyed his many cultivatable years as a actor during Levski Sofia, whom he after guided to dual championships – and a 2005/06 UEFA Cup quarter-finals.