Sevilla midfielder Hiroshi Kiyotake. (Photo : Getty Images)
Champions League qualifiers Villarreal CF (0-0-1, 1 point) and Sevilla FC (1-0-0, 3 points) are going to clash at the Estadio El Madrigal on August 28, Sunday in a Week 2 match of the recently-opened 2016-2017 La Liga season.
Villarreal, who finished at the fourth spot of last season's Spanish top flight table to qualify to the UCL's playoff round this term, was held to a 1-1 draw by lowly team Granada CF at the Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes last Saturday, as per SkySports.
It was a tough game from the kick off as both teams' offenses have struggled with their attacks in the first half of the match.
El Submarino Amarillo finally broke the game's deadlock one minute after the hour mark as left winger Samu Castillejo successfully directed a free kick with his left foot towards the bottom right corner of Granada goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa's net.
However, Argentine forward Ezequiel Ponce was able to quickly find the equalizer four minutes later with a left-footed shot of his own from short range following a corner kick.
Both teams went scoreless for the rest of the match as they shared a point each in the overall standings.
Meanwhile, reigning Europa League champions Sevilla turned back a tough challenge from RCD Espanyol as they pulled off a high-scoring 6-4 affair at their home field of Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium also last Saturday, via ESPN.
Luciano Vietto netted a brace while Pablo Sarabia, Franco Vazquez, Wissam Ben Yedder, and Hiroshi Kiyotake each scored a goal to complete Los Rojiblancos' six-goal performance.
Four players from Espanyol scored in the match, namely Pablo Piatti, Hernan Perez, Victor Sanchez, and Gerard Moreno.
The visitors started the scoring with Piatti's opener at the eighth minute before Sarabia leveled it seven minutes later. Sevilla then took the lead with Vietto's first goal at the 22nd, but Los Periquitos managed to equalize it again with Perez's strike at the 26th, 2-2.
The first 45 minutes ended in a 3-3 count when Vietto scored his second during the first half injury time to keep the score tied after Espanyol took the lead on Sanchez's shot from outside of the box.
Vazquez, Yedder, and Kiyotake then scored three straight goals at the 54th, 66th, 74th as Sevilla built a 6-3 lead before Moreno scored a consolation one at the 79th for the final count.
The predicted result is a 2-1 victory for Sevilla.
Villarreal starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Asenjo; Mario, Musacchio, Ruiz, Rukavina; Soriano, N'Diaye, Trigueros, Castillejo; Sansone, Pato
Sevilla starting lineup (3-5-2 formation): Rico; Mariano, Pareja, Mercado; Kiyotake, Vazquez, N'Zonzi, Sarabia, Vitolo; Vietto, Yedder
