Villarreal and Sivasspor play a match this Thursday in Turkey key to the future of group I of the Europa League, since what happens in this match – which the locals face with numerous casualties due to Covid-19 infection and in the Qarabag-Maccabi one, the final classification could be resolved in the absence of a day.
For Villarreal it is not a vital game, since winning, drawing and even losing, their classification options are very high. A victory assures them the first place, while a draw and even a defeat by the minimum classifies them as second and with options to be first in the last game, since winning in the last day of local al Qarabag they would be classified as leaders.
On his side andl Sivasspor needs to win this match to get in the fight for the European places, since losing and winning the Maccabi would be discarded in a definitive way. It should be remembered that Maccabi plays this day against Qarabag, who have not won a game and is already ruled out.
However, eThe Turkish team faces this vital clash very weak due to several player casualties due to coronavirus positives. The club announced on Tuesday that two more players have tested positive, although their identities have not been revealed, which would be added to other previous cases of contagion. In the last match of the European League last Thursday against Qarabag, Sivasspor had eight player casualties due to coronavirus.
At the moment the total number of infected players is unknown because the club has not announced the number of players who will be able to jump onto the pitch tomorrow. In this morning's training the French midfielder Fayçal Fajr and left-back Ziya Erdal, that the last days were lost due to coronavirus, although it has not been confirmed that they will play tomorrow.
The coach Riza Çalimbay He also attributed the team's difficulties this season to the overlap between days of the Europa League and the national competition, which in this 2020-2021 campaign has three more teams in the league, from 18 to 21 clubs, and therefore more games .
For its part, Villarreal comes to this match with one of the best streaks of results in recent years, since they add twelve games without losing. Although it is true that in the last three games they have not been able to win, since they have added two draws with Real Madrid at home, and the draws with Real Sociedad and Maccabi as visitors.
In the casualty chapter, Emery will not be able to count on the injured Carlos Bacca, Moi Gómez and Paco Alcácer, which leaves the team without two of its four forwards. These absences open the doors of ownership to the young Fer Child, who is the third leading forward in the squad.
Emery wants continuity in the good game
Regarding the possible eleven, the idea of the coach seems to continue to be to bet on wide rotations and giving minutes to players with fewer minutes in domestic competition.
Probable lineups:
Sivasspor: Mamadou Samassa; Robin Yalçin, Aaron Appindangoyé, Caner Osmanpasa, Baris Yardimci; Yasin Öztekin, Claudemir, Isaac Cofie, Max Gradel; Arouna Koné; Olarenwaju Kayode
Villarreal: Rulli, Peña, Foyth, Funes Mori, Pedraza; Iborra, Coquelin, Baena; Chukwueze, Kubo, Child.
Referee: Duje Strukan (Croatia).
Stadium: Yeni 4 Eylül de Sivas
Hours: 18:55