With two wins from two in the Europa Conference League so far, Villarreal welcome Austria Vienna to the Ciutat de Valencia on Thursday, looking to all but seal their qualification into the knockout stages.
The Yellow Submarine will be looking for a reaction after a frustrating 0-0 draw with Cadiz on Saturday, while the visitors also need to pick themselves up after a 3-0 defeat at home to Sturm Graz.
Match preview
It felt a very familiar story for Unai Emery's Villarreal on the weekend, as his Champions League-chasing side dropped yet more avoidable points to relegation-threatened opponents in the league.
After losing to Deportivo Alaves, Levante, Elche and Cadiz last campaign, a goalless draw at the Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla on the weekend, despite having 60% of the ball and 14 shots on goal, represents another annoying blank in a game that they should have won.
The club from Castellon have had no issues scoring in European competition, however, netting six goals from their opening two games in Group C, including a dramatic 4-3 win over Lech Poznan at the start of September.
Alex Baena has particularly enjoyed his Thursday nights this campaign, with three goals, including the winner last time out at Hapoel Be'er Sheva, to continue his side's 100% start in their Europa Conference League debut.
Having rested the likes of Yeremy Pino, Samu Chukwueze and Arnaut Danjuma in Cadiz, the latter making his return to the side after injury, it will be interesting to see if Emery goes strong for the visit of the 24-time Austrian Bundesliga winners, or has one eye on an important clash with Real Sociedad on the weekend.
Either way, a return to form and a return to the goals is a must here for Villarreal, who will see the visit of struggling opposition as the perfect opportunity to snap their streak of two uninspiring draws.
For the visitors, the most decorated Austrian side of all time, both domestic and European competition have provided stern challenges so far this campaign.
After that 3-0 defeat to Sturm Graz on the weekend saw Manfred Schmid's men drop into seventh place in the Austrian Bundesliga, the side return to a Conference League group of which they are bottom, after a 4-1 defeat to Lech Poznan last time out dented their goal difference significantly.
With 56% of the ball, and 14 efforts on goal, Die Veilchen were punished for their wastefulness in attack, as midfielder Manfred Fischer had a 36th-minute penalty, before Andreas Gruber curled just wide with a left-footed strike.
If they are to take an unlikely result from a trip to Spain, they will surely have to take their chances from even fewer goalscoring opportunities.
Team News
The key piece of injury news for Villarreal surrounds the fitness of Gerard Moreno, who has sat out the last two games with hamstring discomfort. The forward himself has admitted that the "sensations were not good", amidst concerns that he could be out for another few weeks.
Alongside him, Manu Trigueros, Alberto Moreno and Juan Foyth will all miss out with their respective long-term injuries.
With Villarreal playing at Levante's Ciutat de Valencia this season, while their own stadium undergoes renovation works, 36-year-old Jose Luis Morales has enjoyed the opportunity to continue playing at the ground where he spent nine years as a player, becoming the second-highest goalscorer in the history of his former club.
Eleven of El Comandante's last 13 goals have been scored at the Ciutat de Valencia, so expect the LaLiga legend to start, and to cause Christian Fruchtl plenty of problems in the Austria Vienna goal.
The visitors bring a few long-term injury troubles of their own, as Ziad El Sheiwi, Johannes Handl and Florian Wustinger all continue to nurse serious injuries.
The club's ninth-most expensive signing, Marko Raguz, is still yet to play a game up front for his new side, but is said to be back in training, and may be in contention for a place on the bench.
Villarreal possible starting lineup:
Jorgensen; Mojica, Cuenca, Mandi; Femenia; Baena, Morlanes, Coquelin, Chukwueze; Danjuma, Morales
Austria Vienna possible starting lineup:
Fruchtl; Martins, Galvao, Muhl, Ranftl; Braunoder, Fischer, Holland; Jukic, Fitz, Gruber
We say: Villarreal 4-1 Austria Vienna
Given their rampant form in the Conference League so far, up against a side who have struggled lately, we expect Villarreal to take their opportunity to get back on the goals trail.
Even with rotations, a strong, deep squad should be enough to sweep their Austrian opposition aside.
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