Villarreal vs Panathinaikos tips and predictions: Marcelino’s new manager bounce to continue
Villarreal head coach Marcelino Garcia
Villarreal will face Panathinaikos in the Europa League group stage at Estadio de la Ceramica on Thursday evening.
Just two years after lifting the Europa League trophy, Villareall can only dream of past glory.
The Yellow Submarine have changed managers three times already in the first of the season, tasking Marcelino Garcia with masterminding a Europa League run.
Life under the 58-year-old has started well with a pair of wins. After beating Zamora in extra time in Copa del Rey, they earned a 3-1 win against Osasuna in La Liga.
Despite having played a game less than opponents Panathinaikos, the Spanish side sits second in the table and can secure qualification with a win.
On the other hand. Panathinaikos are top of the Greek league but Olympiakos, AEK Athens and PAOK are hot on their tails.
Their first major slip of the domestic season came last weekend when they suffered a 2-0 defeat against Aris, allowing the chasing pack to close the gap.
In Europe, Ivan Jovanovic’s team suffered a second consecutive defeat against Rennes despite the hosts playing with 10 men for nearly an hour.
The defeats mean Panathinaikos have four points after four games and must beat Villarreal on Thursday and Maccabi Haifa on the final matchday.
They can take heart from the reverse fixture in Athens where goals from Fotis Ioannidis and Andra Sporar handed the hosts a 2-0 win.
This looks like a much tougher assignment and Sergiu is expecting Villarreal to extend their winning start under Marcelino, but not without a scare.
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Key stats
- Both teams have scored in eight of Villarreal’s last nine matches.
- There have been over 2.5 goals in seven of Villarreal’s last nine matches.
- Panathinaikos’ back-to-back with Rennes resulted in 2-1 and 3-1 losses.