Villarreal take on the visitors Manchester City in the round 3 match of UEFA Champions League group stage. The match will be played on Tuesday, October 21st at Estadio de la Ceramica (Villarreal).
Villarreal have produced bright performances before — it’s enough to recall how, under Unai Emery, they won the Europa League and reached the Champions League semi-finals. Then came a downturn, but after Marcelino returned to the dugout, the team began to improve — not yet in 2023/2024, the season during which he arrived (progress was visible, though they missed out on European qualification), but by spring they finished level on points with Athletic (70 each) and took 5th place in La Liga. That was enough to bring them back into the Champions League. However, things have been difficult for the Spaniards so far. They first lost to Tottenham due to a goalkeeper’s mistake, and later rescued a home draw against Juventus in the final minutes. Villarreal’s attack has looked lively, are in fine form and constantly create danger. Still, defensive lapses and inconsistent performances against top sides remain their main weakness, something Marcelino is still trying to fix.
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Manchester City remain inconsistent. The Citizens not long ago achieved a historic treble, finally adding the Champions League to their collection. But last season brought several major disappointments, and they only managed to finish third in the Premier League. More setbacks followed, even with another round of expensive signings — including their elimination by Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup and a shaky start to the new Premier League campaign. In the Champions League, though, they began well with a 2-0 victory over Napoli — although the Italians were reduced to ten men midway through the first half. In their next group game, City were held to a draw by Monaco, a side seemingly close to parting ways with Hütter. Despite a brace from Haaland that put them ahead, the French team earned a stoppage-time penalty, converted by Dier, to make it 2-2. Guardiola’s side continue to dominate in possession, but defensive concentration has been an issue, and Rodri’s recent injury has disrupted midfield balance. On the bright side, Foden and Doku have shown flashes of brilliance, often rescuing points with individual moments.
The sides met back in 2011, also in the Champions League. On that occasion, the English giants won both matches — 2-1 at home and 3-0 away. Despite their inconsistency, the visitors remain clearly stronger. The bet is on Manchester City to secure a win at La Cerámica.
Prediction for the match: Manchester City to win.
