Villarreal visit Malaga's Rosaleda on Monday night in what promises to be an exciting clash between two in-form teams who both recorded wins last Thursday night. Jesualdo Ferreira's new Malaga side are yet to win at home this season and, in fact, they have not won at the Rosaleda in La Liga for six months dating back to a win over Villarreal but the Andalusians will be hoping that their raw pace is enough to hurt their opponents. Juan Carlos Garrido's organised team arrive in Malaga full of confidence. A win here could see the Yellow Submarine move up to 2nd place in La Liga.
MALAGA
Player to Watch: Jose Rondon
On Thursday Malaga picked up another fine away win to go along with their 3-5 thrashing of Real Zaragoza earlier in the season, beating Getafe 0-2 at the notoriously frugal Coliseum Alfonso Perez. Malaga have a lot of work to do before they finally look like a decent team but that is hardly surprising given the level of change over the summer. Jesualdo Ferreira's men are LWLW in their first four matches, which leaves them in 8th position at this early stage in the season. On Monday night they host Villarreal at the Rosaleda and all the signs are it will be a complicated match for the Andalusians. They are yet to register a point at home and Villarreal are currently on a hot streak of three wins in a row which has seen them rise as high as 3rd after the minor setback of an opening day defeat. Curiously enough, Malaga have not won at home for exactly six months and that time it was against Villarreal. Jesus Gamez is suspended on Monday night after picking up a red card in Thursday's win so there will be a replacement required at right back. Manu Torres is the most obvious like-for-like change but Patrick Mtiliga could also shift right allowing Ivan Gonzalez to play in the middle next to Weligton. Rodrigo Galatto is still injured so Ruben is included in the squad again and he will be hoping to start in goal ahead of Arnau for the second time in a week. Manolo Gaspar, Duda and Helder Rosario are also sidelined at the moment but Juanito is back in the team so there are plenty of options in centre midfield with Antonio Apono, Fernando and Sandro Silva all competing for places. We are likely to see a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 formation so there could be room for two or three of those four in the middle of the pitch with wide men Quincy and Eliseu completing the midfield behind a lone striker. Seba Fernandez, Juanmi, Jose Rondon and Nabil Baha are all in the squad and, as he scored the other day, Rondon has to be favourite to start even ahead of teenage prodigy Juanmi. Alberto Luque, Edinho and Javier Malagueno were left off the list for tactical reasons.
Possible starting XI: (4-3-3) Ruben; Manu Torres, Ivan Gonzalez, Weligton, Patrick Mtiliga; Sandro Silva, Fernando, Antonio Apono; Eliseu, Quincy Owesu-Abeyie, Jose Rondon;
VILLARREAL
Player to Watch: Nilmar
Villarreal currently sit 3rd in the table thanks to confident 1-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna on Thursday night. Brazilian striker Nilmar was the goal-scorer for the Valencian club and he has now become La Liga's leading scorer having notched up four goals in four matches of the 2010-11 season. Juan Carlos Garrido's team look far more organised this season than they did throughout the last, as the new manager has cleared out the dead wood and the team is obviously benefiting from the stability and consistency Garrido has provided. Villarreal are LWWW in their last four matches heading into Monday night's clash with Malaga at the Rosaleda. Villarreal's form, coupled with Malaga's poor home form this season probably makes Garrido's team the favourites to win this match and boost their already impressive credentials. With no injury worries at all at the moment, Juan Carlos Garrido has named the same 18-man squad as he named for the last two matches. Consistency in his team selection is part of the efficaciousness of Villarreal's play at the moment and this is manifesting itself in their improved organisation and togetherness. It is highly likely that we will see the same 4-4-2 formation as before, with Giuseppe Rossi and Nilmar acting as the key men up front, Santi Cazorla and Borja Valero wide of Bruno Soriano and Marcos Senna in midfield and Matteo Musacchio, Angel Lopez, Joan Capdevila and Carlos Marchena in front of Diego Lopez at the back. To compliment that line-up, Jefferson Montero, Ruben Cani, Jozy Altidore and Marco Ruben can all make decisive impacts if called into action from the bench.
Possible starting XI: (4-4-2) Diego Lopez; Angel Lopez, Matteo Musacchio, Carlos Marchena, Joan Capdevila; Santiago Cazorla, Bruno Soriano, Marcos Senna, Borja Valero; Nilmar, Giuseppe Rossi;
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