Given the circumstances, both beating Villarreal (Estadio de la Cerámica, 7.30 pm) today and obtaining one of the first seven places in the standings are a feat. The team of Imanol He is devastated by injuries, by the muscle problems of all his cracks, by the downturn caused by poor results and by a devilish schedule that has only allowed him to rest almost half the time than his last opponents. After obtaining five points from the last 24, the European position should no longer be defended, but must be conquered after Athletic's victory yesterday against an unmotivated Levante (1-2). Imanol A few days ago he used a rowing simile to portray the situation of the Real and cited that the wave had to be caught and not released until the end after leaving the hole. Today it is time to do a ciaboga in Vila-Real, to completely change course. Or else this drifter will sink.
The realists do not finish meeting their game or being solvent in the areas where they are bleeding to death. It does not become forceful in its arrivals and it is a disaster in the few that the rival has. This and the arbitration errors are being a constant in the duels of the txuri urdin in this fast-paced month. Villarreal is being the opposite, an euphoric team that hits and barely lets them hurt: they have won six and tied one of the eight post-confinement games, in which they have left their door to zero on six occasions. If you win today, you secure a European place. His motivation is maximum. It is a rock, the second best team after Madrid in this month of competition. In April, when he applauded on the balconies, the Royal had eight more points. Today he has six fewer before the game. Says it all. The yellows come from beating a direct rival like Getafe (1-3) and those from Gipuzkoa, from losing to Granada at home (2-3). For all these reasons, the Royal will once again shoot from the heart, as in the second half against the Nasrids, to hold their flag.
Imanol, the enemy or water
Imanol is aware that it is the key party. He believes in the feat and that is why he wants to pamper all the details. And don't give clues. For this meeting, he has a new low, that of Aritz
Elustondo, who misses the last three games due to an injury to the femoral biceps. It is the fifth safe loss due to injury.
There are many other realistic doubts. The coach summoned and took 25 players to Villarreal and not the 23 that the regulations allow. Today he will make two discards. Yesterday they trained Isak, Odegaard, Monreal, Zubeldia and Zaldua, absent due to injury against Granada and flew with the rest. Today several of them will be holders, but it is necessary to think that some is K.O. Or it is serious doubt because there are two more troops on the list.
Without Aritzwill be Llorente and You
Normand those who occupy the axis of the rear, perhaps with the starting sides, Zaldua and Monreal, if they arrive in optimal conditions. It is understood that the coach reserved Odegaard against Granada to play today, that Zubeldia can take its place and it is possible that Isak also have your choice. Anything not to see Merino and Oyarzabal, engine and heart of this team, in the ‘eleven’, will be a major surprise, despite the fact that they are ‘in the last’.
Calleja, meanwhile, also has serious losses: he loses by sanction his undisputed starting center forward and the top yellow scorer in the League, with 16 goals, Gerard
Brown, and another fixed in the medullary as Iborra. Alcacer It is doubt due to muscle problems. The Alcala technician does not give the list until today.
La Real has everything against it, footballing, psychic and physically. That is why it is time to give the ciaboga, beat and go for the European flag. This is the Real one.