Our prediction for this Champions League match:
After rolling over Young Boys 4-1 in Bern, Villarreal will look to retain second position in Group F when they take on the Swiss outfit at their Estadio de la Ceramica. The Yellow Submarine failed to win the previous four league fixtures, and, no doubt, they are determined to give fans something to cheer about. Even though important attacker Gerard Moreno remains in the recovery room, we are tempted to put our money on the La Liga side as Young Boys do not seem to be competitive at this level.
David Wagner’s troops failed to impress in a 3-1 loss to St. Gallen at the weekend, which is yet another reason why we are tempted to put our money on Unai Emery’s troops. The good news for the visitors is that goalkeeper Guillaume Faivre has recovered from a long-term injury.
Highlighted Player (Ramiro Funes Mori):
Argentina isn’t known to produce great talents in defence but Ramiro Jose Funes Mori is an exception. The 25-year-old started his football career in the United States with FC Dallas. He won an MLS talent competition to get into their youth team but it was less than a year before he moved back to Argentina.
Mori joined River Plate as a youth player in 2008 and progressed to their senior team within three years. The young defender is nothing short of a club legend at River Plate having won six titles with the team. More than the titles and his performances, it was his performances in important games that is still vividly remembered.
His iconic goal against Boca Juniors is still part of the folklore. Mori joined English Premier League club Everton in 2015 and soon established himself as a regular there. Mori represented Argentina seven times and yet to score in national colors.
Highlighted Team (Young Boys):
Just five years after its foundation Young Boys won their first Swiss Super League trophy (1903). The capital club won no less than 11 domestic trophies in the 20th century, but they have been in Basel’s shadow in the last two decades. Young Boys won their last Swiss Super League title back in 1986, while lifting their last Swiss Cup trophy in 1987.
The Yellow and Blacks welcome their rivals at Stade de Suisse, which acts as a national stadium and it has to be noted that they play their home games on artificial turf. Swiss football legend Stephane Chapuisat played for the club in the past and you should bear in mind that former Yugoslavia coach Vujadin Boskov played for the Stade de Suisse outfit in the past as well.
Young Boys played their first official game on 29 June, 1898 and they shared the spoils with Institute Grunau back then. The Swiss team participated in the 2016/2017 Champions League qualifiers, but they failed to make it to the group stages of the elite competition.