Our prediction for this Europa League match:
In-form Villarreal will be aiming to give fans yet another reason to celebrate when they face Maccabi Haifa in a postponed Europa League game. The Yellow Submarine have already booked their place in the knockout stages, but they surely want to overtake Rennes in top position in Group F. Villarreal have been scoring goals for fun ever since Marcelino took over the reins and we are positive that they will stick to their attacking style of play.
Experienced midfielder Etienne Capoue is widely expected to return to the starting XI, while all Mandi, Pino, Sorloth, and Suarez should miss out with injuries. Maccabi Haifa, on the other hand, are on a three-game winning run in the national championship, but given their poor display in the Europa League defeat to Rennes (0-3), we believe that there is a big value in betting on the La Liga outfit. Both Shon Goldberg and Sun Menahem are sidelined with injuries for the visiting side.
Highlighted Player (Aissa Mandi):
Aissa Mandi is a product of Reims’ youth school. After playing eight matches for Reims II in the 2009/2010 season, he started playing for the first team in 2010. Mandi made his Reims debut against Le Havre on 20 August, 2010 and he remained at Stade Auguste Delaune until 30 June, 2016, when he decided to join Spanish side Real Betis.
The Algeria international, who was born in Chalons-en-Champagne, France, signed a five-year contract with los Beticos which expires on 30 June, 2021. His main position is centre back, but he is capable of playing as a full back as well. The right-footed defender made his Algeria debut on 5 March, 2014 and he helped the Algerian national team keep a clean sheet in a 2-0 win over Slovenia.
Mandi impressed at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, but he scored his first goal for Algeria in a 3-3 draw with Ethiopia in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. He represented Algeria at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations as well.