On August 17th, at 2:00 am, the first round of the Spanish Primera División became more and more intense as the night fell. In the marquee match, Villarreal "Yellow Submarine" welcomed the challenge of Granada in their own home ground. Although Villarreal lost on penalties after a 120-minute battle with Premier League giants Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup, the team's performance proved that it is not to be underestimated. Will Villarreal be able to get a good start in the first round of the competition? Let's wait and see.
Looking back at past meetings between the two sides, Villarreal have a slight advantage with 7 wins, 4 draws and 1 loss in 12 head-to-heads. In their two meetings last season, Villarreal drew at home and won 3-0 on the road. Granada, on the other hand, have not won in seven years since the 27th round of La Liga in 2014. That victory came thanks to goals from Fran Rico and Albi, who beat Villarreal 2-0 at home.
Looking at the team's form, Villarreal had a great season last season and despite finishing seventh in the league, they were able to return to the Champions League thanks to a great performance in the UEFA Cup, where they beat Manchester United on penalties in the final to win the title. The team brought in four players for the new season, mainly focusing on the backfield, with defender Foyth, who was brought in from Tottenham Hotspur for 15 million euros, being the big addition in the off-season. Meanwhile, Pau Torres, who was rumored to be on the move with Tottenham, has clearly refused to move and will continue to play for the team in the new season. Despite the defeat in the European Super Cup, the team is in the bonding stage and needs more time to perfect its technical and tactical style of play, so it is worth looking forward to its performance in the new season.
For Granada, despite having experienced relegation before, they seem to have found a way to win when they returned to the top flight, and have been fairly consistent in recent seasons, hovering in the middle of the league. In the offseason, the team played six friendly matches, with a record of four wins, one draw and one loss, especially in the last three matches with three consecutive wins. During the off-season, the team did not make any large-scale transfer operations, and mainly relied on signing-free players, such as striker Baka, who was signed free of charge from Villarreal, and youngster Monchu, who was signed free of charge from Barcelona. In the new season, the team's goal will be to hit the UEFA Cup.
In terms of lineup predictions, Villarreal's starting lineup includes goalkeeper Asenjo, defenders Pedraza, Pau Torres, Albiol, Foyt, midfielder Moreno, Capoue, Trigueros, Jeremie Pino, and strikers Dia and Gerard Moreno. Granada's starting lineup, on the other hand, includes goalkeeper Escandel, defenders Fulquier, Ebrahim, Duarte, Neiva, midfielders Puertas, Monchu, Gonalon, Miglia, Luis Suarez, and striker Bacca.
Personal opinion: Although Villarreal missed out on the European Super Cup, it may have inspired their players. In terms of overall strength, Villarreal is slightly better, so this match is a good match for them to win at home.
