David against Goliath. Can Villarreal take Bayern Munich by surprise?

A clash of two different worlds awaits us in the Champions League quarter-finals. The gigantic Bayern Munich can point at just about anyone it wants, the club’s trophy museum is packed to bursting. Villarreal, on the other hand, can’t jump up and down, they won their first club trophy last year for winning the Europa League.

Bayern Munich is a concept in the Champions League. It has the third highest number of titles, only Real Madrid (13) and AC Milan (7) have more. Liverpool (6) have the same number. The last time the Eared Cup went to Munich was in 2020.

Villarreal, on the other hand, is another story. The modest club comes from a small town that is smaller than Bayern’s stadium. Villarreal has 50,000 inhabitants, and the Allianz Arena can fit 79,000 people. Still, David has a chance against Goliath.

The yellow submarine knows how to take on better opponents. Strategist Unai Emery may have failed at Arsenal, but he excels on home soil in Spain. Not for nothing is he the coach with the most trophies in the Europa League, which he dominated with both Sevilla and Villareal.

He knocked out Parejo and co. in the eighth round. Juventus when they won 3-0 after a 1-1 home draw in Turin. Bayern are the clear favourites, but they should be very wary.

Villarreal is a very unpleasant team. Their style of play is, quite simply, strange. They don’t even get into a defensive block, they don’t chase you all over the pitch, they don’t even keep the ball most of the time. It almost seems like it sort of drifts through the game, with the action often taking place more in the midfield, it’s just that this lulling is extremely dangerous.

The team from the east of Spain can actually strike from a single chance. The whole game can be nil, you may feel that you are firmly in control of the match. But then comes one, at first ordinary looking attack, and you watch the Villarreal players celebrate. That’s what Bayern have to watch out for, because El submarino amarrilo is a very unreadable opponent.

Emery has combined experience and youthful predation to great effect. The 35-year-old captain, Raúl Albiol, with experience from Real Madrid and Naples, is the stopper. Next to him is 25-year-old Pau Torres, who is in great demand among the big clubs.

In midfield, the mainstay is 32-year-old Dani Parejo, a leader and a player with incredible game vision. In attack, the 29 year old striker Gerard Moreno is the number one. These experienced players are joined by 19-year-old Yeremy Pino, 22-year-old Samuel Chukwueze, 25-year-old Arnaut Danjuma and 25-year-old Giovanni Lo Celso.

The club has a lot of respect for its fans and so made a great gesture. Even though Villarreal is only in the knockout stage of the Champions League for the third time, it doesn’t want to make money out of its fans. Tickets for the quarter-final against Bayern are on sale from 20 euros (roughly 500 CZK) for season ticket holders. Fans under 26 and pensioners also get a 50% discount.

A stormy atmosphere can thus be expected at the Estádio de la Cerámica, which will propel Villarreal to victory. And believe me, Emery’s charges are not without a chance.

Source: UEFA