Minute by Minute: Villarreal CF vs. Manchester United

FlawlessThaw

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UEFA Champions League

Venue: Estadio El Madrigal (Capacity: 25'000)
Date: Tuesday 25th November, 2008
Kick Off: 19:45 GMT​


As usual you know the rules. Don't post on here unless you have signed up.
 
Line ups:

Villarreal: Diego Lopez, Javi Venta, Rodriguez, Fuentes, Capdevila, Santi Cazorla, Senna, Eguren, Pires, Rossi, Ibagaza.
Subs: Viera, Edmilson, Franco, Cygan, Fernandez, Angel, Bruno.
Man Utd: Kuszczak, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Ronaldo, Fletcher, Carrick, Nani, Anderson, Rooney.
Subs: Foster, Giggs, Park, Vidic, Rafael Da Silva, Gibson, Tevez.

Team News:

  • Kuszczak (PIG) gets the nod over Foster to replace VDS.
  • Evans gets a rare start at centre back alongside Rio
  • 'tard favourite Rossi makes his return to play United as does Robert Pires
 
That's a considerably stronger team for Villareal with Cazorla, Senna and Rossi all back in the team. Ibagaza, a player who got more assists than anyone in La Liga last season, also gets a game so it's a considerably more threatening team United are up against.

All of which becomes even more worrying when we remember the fact United haven't scored against Villareal in the 3 games they've played in.
 
United kick off in all blue. According to Betfred you can get a 0-0 draw for 11/2.

I'd be interested to see how our midfield works tonight. Will Anderson tuck in behind Rooney or is it a flat 4-3-3
 
The game starts off at a nice pace with the centre of the pitch typically crowded.
 
Ronaldo fouls Senna in the middle of the pitch. Free kick to Villareal.

United get the ball back and Rooney almost releases Evra down the left. Defender clears. Throw to us and Nani finds Anderson who is offside.
 
As Brwned has said the midfield area tonight is quite packed, both sides are finding it difficult to get any space in the middle.
 
Long ball played up towards Rooney down the left he makes some nice movements but his tame cross/shot/pass is grasped by the Villareal keeper.

Nani gets behind the Villareal right full back but fails to cause any trouble.
 
Quite sloppy in posession from both teams, althought United have had more of the posession.

A lot of long passes being made out to the left wing, looks like Javi Venta is being marked as a potential weak point.
 
Anderson gets clear and his cross/shot is saved by Lopez. The ball is then found by Ronaldo outside the box and his shot is wide.

Then acts of petulance from Ronaldo follow who feels he was held back a bit by Ibagaza
 
Goal scored by Ronaldo, but Evra just edged offside.

Another cross from the left hand side led to it, with Anderson, Evra, Rooney and Nani all getting crosses in.
 
The ball goes into the net but Evra whos crosses the ball is deemed wrongly offside.
 
United have started off with plenty of movement from the middle three, with Anderson and Fletcher both pushing forward into good positions.

Poor shot from the left hand side of the box by Rossi comfortably saved.
 
United are now looking the better side and have got their hand on the game. Anderson seems to be driving the game.

Rossi makes a run forward but his shot is blocked by Rio. He then retrieves the ball later on after Fletcher sloppily gives it away but his shot is comfortable for PIG.
 
Corner to Villareal, the game is opening up with half chances for both teams.
 
Villareal counter and some nice movement from Ibagaza, Vente and Senna leads to a corner for them.

Ronaldo eventually clears the corner.
 
Some fancy play by Ronaldo in our right back corner area leads to a goal kick for us. Notable point was when Ronaldo slammed the ball into O'Shea's stomach.
 
Sloppy pass by Anderson gives Villareal the chance to attack quickly.

Rossi wastes the chance though.
 
Great work by Fletcher shutting Pires down who is starting to be effective.
 
Ball given away by O'Shea on the right hand side of the pitch, Villareal had the chance to break but slow the play down and eventually Fletcher clears it.

Villareal may be able to exploit how far our midfielders are pushing forward at times if it continues.
 
Cazorla gets crowded out on the edge of the box and the ball eventually gets back to him after some nice play.

TK makes the save from Cazorla, but looked nervous in doing so.
 
Good defending by Carrick as Villareal have started to get more involved in the game passing the ball crisply which eventually leads to a shot from Carzola which saved by PIG

The ball is just about cleared.
 
SAF has ordered Anderson to be the man to stop Senna who has made some efective driving runs forward.
 
A nice pass from Evans starts and attack which eventually breaks down when Rooney falls down, whether he was touched or not is debatable.

Great intercetion by Evans highlights his positional sense.
 
Rooney claims to have just fallen down. Evans has shown what a classy player he can be.

Ronaldo counters with Rooney down the left. The pass was a bit strong and Rooney just loses his footing as he tries to cross the ball.
 
Carrick has done very well as of yet in winning the ball back, and he has used it well as usual.

Ronaldo and Nani have barely been in the game, and there hasn't been any real threat from either team as of yet.
 
Evra makes a run down the left. He has been terrific tonight. Rooney sells a clever dummy that finds Anderson unmarked he tries to find Nani but it leads to nothing.
 
Villareal's midfielders have looked typically classy and creative in their play but Rossi has struggled up front on his own in this match.

The overriding theme of this game is sloppiness.
 
Carrick gives the ball away And Rossi and Pires are clear, Ibagaza joins them as the ball is hoisted into the area. Rio pressures Pires as the ball goes behind for a goal kick.

Ronaldo is fouled by Javi Venta, free kick to United in Ronaldo area.

Free kick goes over the wall but straight down the keeper's throat.
 
Free kick to United for a poor foul on Ronaldo from Javi Venta. Yellow card for him so he'll need to be cautious.

Ronaldo to take the free.
 
Decent free kick from Ronaldo, gets it over the wall but it lacked the whip and power of his usual free kicks.
 
Loose ball is picked up by Senna who immediately has a long range shot but comfortable low save for PIG
 
Brilliant play from Rossi to win a free kick on the left wing, poor challenge by Nani.

Could be dangerous.
 
Cleared by Carrick under pressure, a corner comes from it.
 
Two pieces of uncertain goalkeeping from Kusczack from the corner and the previous free kick.
 
Rossi wins a free kick from Nani just outside the side of the box.

Awkward for PIG but he punches it clear. Long range shot is headed away for a corner by Carrick.

Corner for Villareal and PIG is even more awkward for this one but United just about survive.
 
Again Rossi wins a free kick, starting to come dep now to get involved with the play and he's doing it to good effect.
 
The link up play between Anderson, Rooney, Ronaldo and Nani has been inconsistent at best tonight.

Anderson gives away another free kick to Rossi. Villareal take it quick.

Javi Vente makes a dash forward into the box but Evans deals with it.
 
Fletcher has a shot outside the box but its straight at the keeper. Good take down by Ronaldo to set him up though.

Fletcher's shot lacked any pace or venom.
 
Ronaldo controls a cross from Nani and sets up Fletcher perfectly, a decent shot but straight at the keeper.

Yellow card for Evra for a poor tackle on Ibagaza. Definitely undeserved.
 
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