Villarreal CF have been handed a formidable group in the Champions League draw. The Yellow Submarine will face reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Napoli, along with Azerbaijani side Sabah, in this season's group stage.
This marks the club's sixth appearance in Europe's premier competition and the first time they have qualified for the group stage in consecutive seasons. Under manager Iñigo Pérez, the team will aim to improve on last campaign's performance, where they failed to earn a single point. The club will draw on happier memories, such as the semi-finals reached in 2022 under Unai Emery and in 2006 with Manuel Pellegrini and Juan Román Riquelme.
A demanding travel schedule
The fixture calendar also presents challenging trips for the travelling supporters. Beyond the journeys to Paris, Manchester and Naples, Villarreal must also visit Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool, Fenerbahçe and Slavia Prague in other phases of the tournament. The match at Anfield will see a reunion between Iñigo Pérez and Andoni Iraola, former teammates at Athletic Club.
Club president Fernando Roig acknowledged the difficulty of the draw. "It's a huge challenge, but we are here to compete," he stated after the groups were revealed. The club is already working on logistical planning for fans wishing to follow the team on their European travels.
Betis also face a tough path
The other Spanish representative, Real Betis, return to the Champions League after more than two decades and will face Arsenal and Bayern Munich as the clear favourites. The Seville-based side's group is completed by Porto, Feyenoord, Como, Borussia Dortmund, Lille and Slovan Bratislava.
For Villarreal, the immediate objective is to break their European poor run and start picking up points from the outset. The squad believes the experience gained and the good form shown in LaLiga will be key. Fans can check the full match schedule on our fixtures page to organise their support from La Cerámica. The first group stage match is scheduled for mid-September.
