With the loss of Real Sociedad to Russian club Kuban Krasnodar in the playoffs it meant just two teams, Sevilla and Villarreal would be in the pot for the Europa League group stage draw. And when analysing their opponents both clubs will be content with their upcoming fixtures in the competition.
Villarreal will no doubt be pleased that European football will return to El Madrigal. Under Coach Marcelino the Yellow Submarine will look to replicate their excellent sixth place League finish last season but also hope to implement their eye-catching style on the continent.
Villarreal have been placed in Group A where they will face Cypriot side Apollon, Swiss outfit FC Zurich and Bundesliga giants Borussia Monchengladbach. While they will not know much about Apollon they should be wary of FC Zurich. The spacious Letzigrund Stadium will certainly be an intimidating venue, where the Swiss team will look to embarrass their Spanish opponents.
However, they will badly miss Mario Gavranovic, as he suffered a cruciate ligament injury at the World Cup with Switzerland that will rule him out for the rest of the year. He scored 17 goals last season but his two goals in the 2-0 win against Basel in the Swiss Cup final are the reason why FC Zurich are in the Europa League.
Villarreal’s likeliest rival for top spot in the group will be Gladbach. Despite losing their star goalkeeper Marc Andre Ter Stegen to Barcelona Die Fohlen presents a stern test under experienced Coach Lucien Favre. They have recruited well by acquiring shot-stopper Yann Sommer from Basel to replace Ter Stegen, exciting winger Andre Hahn from Augsburg, and midfielder Thorgan Hazard on loan from Chelsea. Villarreal need to be at their very best if they want to snatch top spot from Gladbach and assure an easier tie in the knockout stages.
Sevilla’s opponents in Group G look relatively straightforward, as they try to defend their title, knowing the winners of this season’s competition earns a lucrative spot in next term’s Champions League. Los Rojiblancos’ group will tackle Dutch club Feyenoord, Belgian outfit Standard Liege and Croatian debutants HNK Rijeka.
The Rojiblancos will feel confident about topping the group especially when you analyse their opponents. HNK Rijeka did well in dispatching Moldavian club Sheriff Tiraspol by winning 4-0 on aggregate, but will undoubtedly be the minnows. Standard Liege have been forced to sell some of their best players notably upfront. Imoh Ezekiel who scored 15 goals last season was sold to Qatari club Al-Arabi while highly rated forward Michy Batshuayi went to Marseille.
Feyenoord are a shadow of the team who finished second in the Eredivisie last season. As a result of their stellar performances their Coach Ronald Koeman went to Southampton to replace Mauricio Pochettino who went to Tottenham Hotspur. In addition, three of their back four have been sold, Stefan de Vrij to Lazio, Bruno Martins Indi to FC Porto and Daryl Janmaat to Newcastle United. The departure of Graziano Pelle to Southampton also means Feyenoord now find themselves without their top striker.
The main objective for Sevilla and Villarreal will be to qualify from their respective groups. Once that is achieved then their eyes will firmly look towards the knockout stages and progress to winning the Europa League and secure a gateway to the coveted Champions League.
The road to Warsaw in May 2015 begins now.
