In the last qualifying round of the next Conference League, Unai Emery’s Villarreal also enters the scene, which after having made the big blow last year, reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, returns to play a Cup that certainly suits more to what are the qualities of the yellow submarine that, without a shadow of a doubt, and especially seeing who sits on the bench, are not only aiming to get into the main draw, but also, and without little discussion, to get as far as possible in this event that is being played for the second time in history: the first year we brought it home to Italy, with Roma winning the final in Tirana.
In Spain, for this first leg, we have the Croatians Hajduk Split, who knocked out Guimaraes in the previous round with a three-to-one victory at home: last week’s one-nil defeat in Portugal was irrelevant. Hajduk managed to hold on and thus reach the last act before the group stage. Of course, the commitment not only looks prohibitive on paper. Villarreal are in good form, and even in the league they started with a victory at the Valladolid ground. In short, it looks like a match with a written result.
Unai Emery ©️Ansafoto
The Prediction
Villarreal will be looking to secure qualification, as they will try hard to win with a large result so as not to risk anything in Croatia. The match should yield at least three goals in total, and could break the deadlock as early as half-time in favour of Emery’s side.
Villarreal v Hajduk Split (line-up)
VILLARREAL (4-4-2): Rulli; Foyth, Albiol, Torres, Pedraza; Pino, Capoue, Parejo, Coquelin; Moreno, Jackson.
HAJDUK SPALATO (4-2-3-1): Kalinic; Mikanovic, Simic, Elez, Melnjak; Vukovic, Grgic, Krovinovic; Sahiti, Livaja, Biuk.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 3-0