Villarreal vs Qarabag prediction, preview, team news, and more | UEFA Europa League 2020-21
Villarreal play host to Qarabag on the final day of their Europa League group phase in a dead rubber at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
Having already secured a place in the next round, the Yellow Submarine are confirmed winners of Group I. They are five points ahead of second-placed Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Thursday's match has nothing at stake for the Spanish side besides pride, and the same goes for Qarabag, who're confirmed to finish at the bottom of the group after a miserable campaign this season.
The Horsemen are one of the eight sides still winless in the competition after five games, drawing once and losing four times. Their losses include the 3-1 defeat to Villarreal at home in October.
Villarreal vs Qarabag Head-To-Head
Villarreal and Qarabag had not met in a competitive match before this season. Their first meeting in October went to the La Liga side, who left it late but ran out 3-1 victors in Baku.
Owusu Kwabena's 78th-minute opener was quickly wiped off by Yeremi Pino and a brace from substitute Paco Alcacer in the final 10 minutes of the match.
Villarreal Form Guide (all competitions): D-D-D-W-D
Qarabag Form Guide (all competitions): L-L-L-L-D
Villarreal vs Qarabag Team News
Paco Alcacer went off injured in the weekend's draw to Elche, deepening Villarreal's striker woes as Carlos Bacca is also out injured. Moi Gomez and Alberto Moreno will also miss the clash with ligament and hamstring injuries respectively.
Injured: Paco Alcacer, Carlos Bacca, Moi Gomez, and Alberto Moreno.
Suspended: None
Unavailable: None
Qarabag have no injury issues ahead of the clash and have all of their key players available.
Injured: None
Suspended: None
Unavailable: None
Villarreal vs Qarabag Predicted XI
Villarreal (4-1-4-1): Gero Rulli; Ruben Pena, Juan Foyth, Ramiro Funes Mori, Jaume Costa; Vicente Iborra; Takefusa Kubo, Francis Coquelin, Alex Baena, Samuel Chukwueze; Gerard Moreno.
Qarabag (4-2-3-1): Shahrudin Mahammadaliyev; Wilde-Donald Guerrier, Qara Qarayev, Kevin Medina, Elvin Dzhafarquliyev; Uros Matic, Ismayil Ibrahimli; Jaime Romero, Filip Ozobic, Abdellah Zoubir; Owusu Kwabena.
Villarreal vs Qarabag Prediction
Qarabag have been admittedly poor in the Europa League this season and there's no reason to believe they won't be rolled over again.
Even though Villarreal have stuttered lately, drawing four of their last five games, Unai Emery's side have enough in the tank to see off the Azeri outfit once again.
Prediction: Villarreal 3-1 Qarabag