Villarreal face away game challenge in pursuit of Champions League place
By Rahul Lakhani
Villarreal have just one goal in mind for the rest of the season: qualify for the Champions League.
The end goal is well within sight, as the Yellow Submarine sit third in LaLiga, 14 points above Real Betis in fifth place. With Manuel Pellegrini’s side also potentially set to qualify, it appears that Villarreal would have to give up a 17-point gap to Celta Vigo to miss out.
There are nine league games remaining this season, and Villarreal just need to keep ploughing on with the same unremarkable consistency they have shown all season. They’ve beaten the sides below them but failed to land a single punch on the big three.
Uncertainty still shrouds Estadio De La Ceramica with regards to next season, as Marcelino’s future is up in the air with no clear picture on whether he will renew his contract at the end of the campaign.
Girona’s Michel is being touted as his successor should Marcelino - who has won more games than any other Villarreal manager in history - depart, and the pair will face each other in their first game after the International break.
Bizarrely, Villarreal face three away games in a row before they return home at the end of April, by which point they will hope to have Champions League qualification all-but-secured.
Trips to Girona, Athletic Club and Real Oviedo will all provide different tests, as well as producing three different storylines for the visitors.
The Girona game will be a test of Michel’s pedigree against Marcelino. Villarreal won 5-0 in the reverse fixture at the start of the season, and if he really is to take the hotseat at La Ceramica, Michel cannot lead his side to a similar result.
San Mames then awaits, as Marcelino will face Ernesto Valverde, the manager who replaced him at Athletic Club. This could be the last time they face each other for a while, with Valverde leaving at the end of the season and the Basque side searching for a successor.
A midweek trip to Real Oviedo follows, and Santi Cazorla will again face the side with whom he is a legend. Cazorla has his face on a plaque on the outside of La Ceramica, and there is sure to be an emotional moment as he lines up against them for potentially the final time.
Villarreal need to shut out the noise, though. Right now, there is an intense media focus on Marcelino as he ponders his future, but this should not deter from the clear objective.
The Yellow Submarine have never qualified for the Champions League in back-to-back years. If they can stroll to it now, it should not even be a remote question whether Marcelino’s contract should be renewed, if he so desires.
