Matchday 3 - Player to Watch

Jefferson Montero (Villarreal)

There's no guarantee that he will start at the Ciutat de Valencia on Sunday - he hasn't done so in the league as yet for Villarreal - but during his two substitute outings against Real Sociedad and Espanyol Jefferson Montero has shown glimpses of a talent which could offer midfield equilibrium to Juan Carlos Garrido's team by balancing Santi Cazorla's technical talents on the right with the Ecuadorian's explosive energy on the left. Jefferson did start against Dynamo Zagreb in an ill-fated European excursion for Villarreal on Thursday and, despite a poor all-round team performance, the number twenty-three did himself justice, proving to be easily the most dangerous player in yellow. He is an athletic left winger with a remarkable turn of pace, as Javier Chica found out to his cost last weekend; Chica got fed up of chasing the Ecuadorian at the Madrigal and resorted to kicking out on the final occasion that Jefferson breezed past him, deservedly earning himself a red card in the process. Jefferson has remarkably close ball control for a man who travels at such speed. When taken into consideration with his tendency to take on at his marker at every opportunity this makes him a nightmare to defend against. Borja Valero currently holds sway on the left flank of Villarreal's starting eleven, but he could also be accommodated in the middle of the pitch at the expense of Bruno Soriano. If that were the case, Jefferson would still have Ruben Cani to compete with for a starting berth but the Ecuadorian, who has already been capped ten times for his country, scoring twice along the way, has the advantage of being eight years younger and much faster than Cani. Of the six players promoted to Villarreal's first team after convincing with the B team last year, Jefferson Montero is, on the basis of early season form, by far the most exciting. Levante beware.