On Thursday, October 1, FC Red Bull Salzburg welcome Spanish side Villareal to the Red Bull Arena for their first home clash in Europa League Group G.
The Red Bulls got off to the best possible start with a stunning 2–1 away win at Italian club SS Lazio on September 17, thanks to a goal from Franz Schiemer (pictured above, celebrating) and an injury-time winner from (who else?) Marc Janko.
And things have been going swimmingly in the domestic league since their Lazio triumph, with a 4–2 win at home over title rivals Sturm Graz and a 2–1 away victory at bottom club Kärnten leaving them top of the Austrian Bundesliga on 20pts, three ahead of second-placed Austria Vienna, and only a point adrift of where they were at the same stage of the record-breaking 2006–7 season under Giovanni Trappatoni.
Like Lazio, Villareal have an impressive European pedigree, as Red Bull coach Huub Stevens acknowledges.
“For me, Villarreal, despite their current league position, are one of the top five teams in [Spain],” Stevens said, but added: “I’m convinced, though, that we will be capable of playing with the necessary concentration and determination to cause an upset at the Red Bull Arena.”
Ahead of the tie, we look at what makes the Castellón-based team such a force to be reckoned with.
Villareal CF
How they qualified
With Spain’s La Liga one of the top leagues in Europe, fifth place domestically in 2008–9 was enough for Villareal to pre-qualify for this season’s Europa League. Their eventual passage to the group stages came thanks to a 9–2 aggregate thumping of Dutch side NAC Breda in the qualifying play-off round.
Euro History
The club have slipped back slightly from the highs of a Champions League semi-final against Arsenal in 2005–6 and a quarter-final, again versus the Gunners, last season. Two successive Intertoto Cup wins in 2003 and ’04 led to impressive UEFA Cup campaigns in the following seasons respectively, with a semi-final in 2004 and the quarters in 2005.
How will they fare?
The slate is theroetically clean, the club never having played any Austrian opposition, but Villareal have never lost an away UEFA Cup group match. Salzburg haven’t won in five home European games, and the last was more than a decade ago – and their only win against Spanish opponents in six games was a 1–0 win over Valencia in a Champions League qualifier three seasons back. Villareal beat Levski Sofia in their first match in this Europa League campaign, so this clash with the Red Bulls is a battle to top the group.
How are they doing domestically?
Poorly, as Huub Stevens suggested above. After five matches, Villareal have yet to win a match in La Liga this season and sit second-bottom of the table in 19th position.
Who to look out for?
Attack-minded left-back Joán Capdevila has fond memories of Austria, with Spain winning the Euro 2008 final in Vienna. Despite being rested for Spain’s group game at the Red Bull Arena against Greece in the competition, the 31-year-old will relish the chance to play this time. “They have a very good atmosphere there,” he says. “The fans are very close to the pitch and the playing surface is excellent. We have to expect a difficult match…”
Villareal CF – Forthcoming Europa League fixtures
October 22: Lazio (Stadio Olimpico)
November 5: Lazio (El Madrigal)
December 2: Levski Sofia (Georgi Asparuhov)
December 17: Red Bull Salzburg (Red Bull Arena)
FC Red Bull Salzburg v Villareal CF
Red Bull Arena, Salzburg
Kick-off: 18:00 (CET), October 1, 2009
FC Red Bull Salzburg – Forthcoming Europa League fixtures
October 22: Levski Sofia (Red Bull Arena)
November 5: Levski Sofia (Georgi Asparuhov)
December 2: Lazio (Red Bull Arena)
December 17: Villareal (El Madrigal)
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