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Today, somewhat unusually, the penultimate 37th round matches of the Spanish championship ("La Liga") will be played between and the "freshly baked" champions from the previous round. The match was moved to today at the request of "Valencia", as they will need to play the UEFA Cup final against "Marseille" on Wednesday, and the club executives, arguing that the players will not have enough time to rest before these important matches, submitted a request to the league management, which was granted.
"Villareal" - "Valencia" Kick-off: 23:00 Lithuania time
"Villareal" will hope that the new Spanish champions will still be in a celebratory mood and not focused enough for the match. Now, with just two rounds left until the end of the season, "Villareal" needs every point in the fight for a place in next year's UEFA Cup.
This will be the third time this month that these two clubs meet - prior to this, they played two matches in the UEFA Cup semi-finals. The first match in Villareal ended in a 0-0 draw, while the second saw "Valencia" win 1-0.
It is not yet clear whether "Villareal" will have goalkeeper Rogeras Garcia and defender Ballestros available for this match.
This match will be a great opportunity for the Valencia players who have played less this season to shine. Coach Rafael Benitez should allow the team leaders: Vicente, David Albelda, Ruben Baraja, Pablo Aimar, and possibly a few other players to rest. This will be a great opportunity for the younger players in the team to show their skills and earn the coach's trust.
