Villarreal vs Malaga: A meeting of sides with similar styles

The Madrigal plays host to Villarreal vs Malaga in a game in which both will be looking to add three league points to their tallies. It's an encounter which sees two of the division's in-form sides go head-to-head. Both teams are currently enjoying their best form of the season with Villarreal CF unbeaten in 10, whilst Malaga CF have recorded an impressive return of six wins, two draws and two defeats in their last 10 outings, having only fallen to defeat against FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC.

If the league table were based solely on the last 30 available points, Villarreal would lie in 2nd whilst Malaga would be sitting in 5th.

Once again, Marcelino and Javi Gracia have managed to satisfy the early-season targets set at their respective clubs. The two Spanish coaches are important figures on the international scene and there are clear parallels and striking differences in the way their teams play.

Let's take a look at what the two sides have in common and how they differ:

Similarities

1. Villarreal and Malaga both line up with one of the most balanced formations in the game, the 1-4-4-2. The two teams set up with three lines of defence, forming a compact unit in which the front men are the first to apply pressure on the opposition. That both sides do an excellent job defensively is reflected in the statistics, with the Yellow Submarine boasting the third meanest backline in the league, whilst the Andalusians occupy fourth position in these rankings.

 

As previously mentioned, the key to this system lies in the two forwards putting in a real shift to regain possession so as to compensate for the numerical disadvantage in the middle of the park when their team faces sides who line up in the often used 1-4-2-3-1 formation. If they get the defensive part of their game right, this system offers a massive advantage in that it gives rise to 2 v 2 situations in which the strikers come face-to-face with the opposing centre-backs.

2. Both sides have right-backs in their ranks who are excellent at getting up and down the pitch. Mario Gaspar and Roberto Rosales are two of the best in the league in their position and the pair are pivotal to the systems employed by Marcelino and Javi Gracia. In addition to their strong defensive capabilities, the duo offer an outlet in bringing the ball out from the back and whenever they join in in the attacking third they always create problems for the opposition.

3. Both squads each include a player capable of unlocking the opposition's backline. In  Denis Suárez and Juanpi  - who were both born in 1994 - Villarreal and Malaga are armed with two of the best young playmakers in the Liga BBVA.  Both were January babies and operate as inside-out wingers who possess the footballing talent to go as far as their desire will take them. The pair are currently amongst the most dangerous attacking players in their respective squads.

Differences

1. Youth vs experience at both ends of the field. On the one hand we have Alphonse Areola and Cedric Bakambu, and on the other there's Carlos Kameni and Charles. Marcelino has placed his faith in two Liga BBVA rookies, tasking one of them with keeping clean sheets, and the other with getting his side's goals. At present the two players are more than repaying their coach's trust. In contrast, Gracia has gone with two players who have bundles of experience at this level, which is always a big plus.

2. Consistent performances vs a sudden upturn. Villarreal have put together good results throughout the whole season, whilst the Boquerones really struggled during the opening three months of the campaign. It was only when Gracia hit upon his best XI (in December) that the tide started to turn.

3. Squad changes vs going with what you've got. Malaga were very active in the winter transfer market, bringing in some new faces and moving others on. The players to have checked in to the Rosaleda were: Federico Ricca, Ikechukwu Uche, Christian Atsu, Cifu and Chory Castro, whilst of those to have left the club, Nordin Amrabaat is the only player who was a regular fixture in Gracia's side. In contrast, Villarreal have chosen to stick by the group of players with which they started the campaign, having made no additions to their squad.