Villarreal vs Getafe preview - Victory 'vital' for Villarreal

Posted Saturday, November 22, 2014 by PA

Villarreal coach Marcelino has urged his side to atone for conceding a recent rash of costly late goals.

Getafe are the opponents on Sunday for a Villarreal side who will be aiming to halt a run of three games without a win.

Before the international break, Villarreal were denied a win at Espanyol by an equaliser in the first minute of second-half stoppage time, and a week earlier they conceded two late goals to lose 2-1 at Sevilla.

"We have let five points slip away from home so we are very focused on this game and aware that getting a victory is vital," Marcelino told the club's official website.

However, the coach's task has been complicated by a series of injuries accumulated during the break for national team matches.

Captain Bruno Soriano will miss the game against Getafe due to a muscle problem sustained during Spain's friendly defeat to Germany, forward Giovani dos Santos injured a muscle in training on Friday, and to compound the problems forward Ikechukwu Uche returned late from international duty with Nigeria.

Villarreal also remain without Mateo Musacchio, Bojan Jokic and Hernan Perez owing to long-term injuries, and the depth of their squad will be tested as they also host Borussia Monchengladbach on Thursday in the Europa League.

"When you have to play three games in a week and you have six players out, everything becomes more difficult," added Marcelino.

"What's more, the players we are missing are very important players. We will try to have all of them available as soon as possible."

Getafe coach Cosmin Contra has announced that Pedro Leon will not face Villarreal despite the player winning an appeal against the Primera Division's organising body, which has prevented him from playing this season because the club exceeded their budget on wages.

The Romanian coach will also be without Juan Valera and Alvaro Vazquez through injury, while captain Alexis Ruano is still suspended.