MADRID, 21 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Villarreal hopes to recover from their cup elimination this Sunday at the Estadio de la Cerámica (2:00 p.m.) against the grown Girona, in a day in which Osasuna visits bottom club Elche (4:15 p.m.) in search of getting closer to the European positions.
Despite playing at home and leaving with a favorable 2-0 scoreline at halftime, Quique Setién’s team was unable to defend their advantage last Thursday and ended up succumbing in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey against Real Madrid (2- 3), a blow that they will now have to forget in the league competition.
With 28 points, the same as Atlético (4th) and Real Betis (6th), the Castellón team is fifth after four consecutive rounds of points, with three straight wins and a draw last week against RC Celta (1-1 ).
Opposite, Girona, eleventh with 21 units -five more than relegation and seven from continental places-, has not yet lost this in LaLiga this year, with the only ‘blemish’ of elimination in the Cup against Cacereño. In total, Míchel’s men have accumulated seven dates without losing and have not fallen in the domestic competition since October 20.
The ‘Yellow Submarine’ will have the casualties of Giovani Lo Celso and Alfonso Pedraza and the almost certain Kiko Femenía and Nicolas Jackson, while Francis Coquelin, Raúl Albiol and Juan Foyth are doubtful due to discomfort. The Catalan team will not be able to count on the injured David López, Ibrahima Kébé and Reinier Jesus.
At Martínez Valero, Elche, who has only five points and is 12 points away from the safety zone, needs to win against Osasuna, a candidate for Europe, if they want to have any chance of staying this season.
The draw against Cádiz on the last day (1-1) interrupted a disastrous series of five straight defeats in LaLiga, but even so Pablo Machín’s men are still without victory this season.
The Navarrese (27), for their part, are only one point away from sixth position thanks to their victory against RCD Mallorca (1-0), which ended a three-game streak without winning, and now they hope to take advantage of the arreón mentality that meant eliminating Real Betis on penalties in the Cup.
The Elche team will have to deal with the absences of Jony Álamo, Domingos Quina, Álex Collado, John Chetauya and Nicolás Fernández Mercau, and Jagoba Arrasate will have to manage without the suspended Lucas Torró or the injured Nacho Vidal and Rubén Peña.
–SUNDAY PROGRAM IN LALIGA SANTANDER.
Villarreal – Girona. Del Cerro Grande (C. Madrid) 14.00.
Elche – Osasuna. Muñiz Ruiz (C. Gallego) 16.15.
FC Barcelona – Getafe. Villanueva Churches (C. Gallego) 18.30.
Athletic Club – Real Madrid. Sánchez Martínez (C. Murciano) 21.00.