Manchester United vs Villarreal: 3 key battles to look out for

Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes vs Villarreal’s Dani Parejo

Lastly, it’s the battle of two midfielders. Two very different midfielders in different stages of their career, but still very important for their team’s successes. One midfielder is more focused on the attack, while the other is a deep-lying playmaker who also does some pretty intelligent defending as well.

Dani Parejo, as I said, has been great for Villarreal. But there’s one aspect of his game that I didn’t talk about. The defensive side of his game is criminally underrated. Don’t believe me? Here are some statistics:

He leads Villarreal in tackles attempted, tackles won, pressures attempted, pressures won and interceptions made. He’s also second in blocks. He’s in the top five in La Liga for pressures attempted, top ten for tackles attempted and tackles won.

There aren’t many aspects of his game that need improving. He’s an incredibly polished player, who will be crucial in Villarreal’s bid to stop another incredibly polished player.

We know how great Bruno has been since he joined Manchester United. He would have to be at the top of his game if he wants to get past Parejo and have a great game. I can see Parejo trying his hardest to stop him.

Maybe that won’t be enough, maybe it will. Who knows? These are two of the best midfielders in the world, and seeing them go up against each other is something that I have been looking forward to seeing for a while now.

This will be the most interesting battle of the night, and one that has the most potential of deciding the game on its own.

May the best team win.