Villarreal CF is chasing its first official win under Iñigo Pérez this Tuesday in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund. The Yellow Submarine arrives at Signal Iduna Park after a La Liga start that leaves them 17th, with just two points from four matches, according to the latest data on our standings page.
The match marks manager Iñigo Pérez's debut in the Champions League league phase, having led Rayo Vallecano to the Conference League final last season. For Villarreal, this is the first time in club history they have qualified for the Champions League in two consecutive seasons, though last year's campaign ended in early elimination with just one point. The memory of a 4-0 thrashing at this same venue last season also looms over the fixture.
What is Villarreal CF's current form?
Villarreal CF's domestic situation is concerning. The team has scored six goals and conceded eight, for a negative two goal difference, and sits ten points behind leaders Barcelona. Coach Iñigo Pérez has dealt with uncertainty in goal, where Peter Gulacsi was considered for this match after Luiz Júnior's performances, and with the confirmed absences of Juan Foyth and Carlos Romero, which you can check on our injuries page. A 2-3 loss to Deportivo in the last league match, with rotations in the side, increased the need for an immediate reaction.
"Defeats hurt the player, but this is a new story. We have the option to start again." Iñigo Pérez stated before the match. Midfielder Santi Comesaña conveyed a message of calm: "we are calm, we learned from our mistakes."
What does Borussia Dortmund bring?
The opponent, managed by Niko Kovac, is also experiencing an irregular start in the Bundesliga, with six points putting them level with Augsburg, who lead on goal difference. They also lost the German Supercup to Bayern Munich (2-1). For this match, they had recoveries of players Konstantinos Karetsas and Daniel Svensson. Kovac warned it would be a mistake to underestimate Villarreal despite their league position in Spain.
Villarreal CF lined up with Gulacsi; Santiago Mouriño, Pau Navarro, Renato Veiga, Sergi Cardona; Pepe, Comesaña, Pape Gueye; Buchanan, Gerard Moreno and Mikautadze. Dortmund started with Kobel; Gadou, Anton, Svensson, Ryersson; Veermann, Jobe Bellingham, Beier; Karetsas, Nwaneri and Guirassy. The appointed referee was Italian Simone Sozza.
What does this match mean for the season?
Beyond the result in Dortmund, this match truly kicks off the Iñigo Pérez era on the European stage. A solid performance could serve as a springboard to improve their Liga form, where urgency is at its peak. The team faces a demanding schedule ahead, with the next fixture already in sight: on Saturday, September 14, they will host Real Betis at the Cerámica, with Betis currently fourth in the table. All schedule details are available in our fixtures section.
Villarreal CF needs points in Europe to change the momentum before that important derby against the green-and-whites.
