VILLAREAL is a town of 40,000 people, so the team is punching above its weight.
Inevitably, for a small town club, their domestic form has dipped as they make their debut splash into the deep waters of the Champions League.
They are 2-1 down against Inter Milan but I’m expecting them to meet Arsenal, so I’ll be watching that game on ITV4, not the AC Milan-Lyon game on ITV1.
When Riquelme plays well, Villareal play well, and I don’t think the lanky playmaker can be nailed down by tight marking. He’s too foxy for that.
Striker Jose Mari amazed me in the first leg. Big, fast, skilful, great in the air, he is a guy who should be a good player, but isn’t. But in the San Siro, where he failed for AC Milan, he was really putting himself about.For once, Jose Mari had stopped posing and diving.I’ve never seen him so fired up.He was playing as if it was the World Cup Final..
This game is full of South Americans from near the River Plate : Cambiasso, Veron, little Cordoba, a steely defender, Sorin, Forlan, Riquelme, Recoba.
Also, from Brazil, the giant Adriano.
Big game for all of them and I fancy the little guys, who are coached by Manuel Pellegrini of Chile.
True, Roberto Mancini has improved Inter a lot.They are formidable and can score late goals. But if they play for a 0-0 they will lose 1-0 or 2-0 and have players sent off.
KAKA & SHEVCHENKO were rested on Saturday and will be hot to trot at the San Siro tonight.
Their class will be the difference against a Lyon team who are unbeaten in 17 Champions League away games. Lyon have scored in all of those games and have Juninho back in midfield, but I still don’t fancy them.
Tiago is suspended after tugging the shirt of Kaka in the 93rd minute of the first leg
Sure, Diarra, Malouda, Carew and Wiltord have power, but I doubt if they can handle Milan, or the occasion.We all know that the Italian back four is old and flawed. Dida never came for one cross against Bayern Munich, but Milan still won 4-1.If they can do that, they can beat Lyon.