A second leg with all to play for, in an all-yellow and recently renovated Estadio de la Cerámica, against the sixth team in La Liga. Thursday’s game against Villarreal CF is, most of all, a good opportunity for Sporting to confirm its recent run of form. And to show what RSC Anderlecht is all about, as coach Brian Riemer likes to put it. He traveled with a fully fit squad to Villarreal on Wednesday and sat next to Yari Verschaeren in the press room of the Estadio de la Cerámica.
Brian Riemer:
“Obviously, we’re playing against a top European side, ranked 16th in Europe, that has performed marvelously in the last couple of years. We know the qualities they have individually. For obvious reasons, I would say that Villarreal are the clear favorites, with their European experience and playing at home. But, on the other hand, we also know what we’re capable of. It’s one of these games that we have everything to win and it’s a top experience for our young players. It’s not every day that you can reach a quarter final of a European competition, and we have that opportunity tomorrow. So yes, I believe that we stand a good chance. It’s gonna be a tough fight, but we’re up for it.”
Yari Verschaeren:
“I can only confirm what the coach said: we’re feeling confident about our recent performances. We showed in the first leg that we can compete with Villarreal, so we have to believe that we can get the desired result tomorrow. About my form recently, I can confirm that I’m feeling very well and I’m happy about my personal run of form. I’ve played as a number 10 and as a winger, but playing as a number 8 suits me as well. Yes, the coach has high demands in terms of running, but I have that in me and I’m happy that I’m able to combine that with my technical abilities. You can tell that there’s a certain confidence in the group, so we hope to show that on the pitch tomorrow.”
