Sports Mole previews Wednesday’s Champions League clash between Pafos FC and Villarreal, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Villarreal will be aiming to record their first victory in the league phase of the Champions League when they continue their campaign with a clash away to Pafos FC on Wednesday night.
The Yellow Submarine are 31st in the overall Champions League table, picking up just one victory from three matches, while Pafos are 29th, boasting two points from their opening three games.
Match preview
Pafos are playing in the Champions League for the first time in their history, and it has been a solid start to the league phase for the Cypriot champions.
Indeed, Juan Carlos Carcedo’s side opened their 2025-26 European campaign with a goalless draw against Olympiacos, before suffering a 5-1 defeat at home to German champions Bayern Munich in matchday two.
Pafos picked up another point away to Kairat last time out, though, and two points from three games has left them in 29th spot in the table, one point off the playoff spots.
The Cyprian outfit recorded a 1-0 victory over AEL Limassol on Sunday, with the result leaving them second in the Cyprian top flight, winning seven and losing two of their nine matches, and they are one point behind division leaders Omonia at this stage of proceedings.
Pafos will face Monaco, Juventus, Chelsea and Slavia Prague in their four European matches after this one, and it would be some achievement if they were able to claim a playoff spot.
Villarreal, meanwhile, will enter this match off the back of a 4-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in La Liga, and they have now managed to triumph in their last three games in all competitions.
Indeed, Marcelino‘s side have won their last two in the league against Valencia and Rayo, in addition to recording a 6-0 victory over Ciudad de Lucena in the first round of the Copa del Rey.
The Yellow Submarine are third in the La Liga table, just two points behind second-placed Barcelona, but it has been difficult for the team in the Champions League this season.
Marcelino’s team lost their European opener away to Tottenham Hotspur before drawing with Juventus ahead of a 2-0 home defeat to Manchester City, and one point from three matches has left them in 31st spot.
Villarreal’s final four matches in the league phase of the Champions League this season will come against Borussia Dortmund, Copenhagen, Ajax and Bayer Leverkusen.
Pafos FC Champions League form:
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Pafos FC form (all competitions):
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Villarreal Champions League form:
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Villarreal form (all competitions):
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Team News
Pafos will be without the services of Joao Correia on Wednesday through suspension, with the attacker sent off against Kairat, while Pedrao is out of the contest due to an injury, but the home side are otherwise in strong shape.
Vlad Dragomir and Domingos Quina have scored four times each in all competitions this season, and there are set to be spots in the starting side for both players in this Champions League affair.
The experienced Mislav Orsic is also in line to start, while there should be a spot in the middle of the defence for 38-year-old centre-back David Luiz, who has 57 career appearances in the competition.
As for Villarreal, Logan Costa, Pau Cabanes and Willy Kambwala are definitely out of the match due to injury problems, but Juan Foyth should overcome an issue to feature at the back.
Gerard Moreno was again on the scoresheet against Rayo last time out, but he could drop out of the XI, with Nicolas Pepe potentially being moved into the final third of the field.
Tajon Buchanan is set to be introduced after starting on the bench last time out, with Ayoze Perez, who has had his injury problems this season, likely to be named on the bench once again.
Pafos FC possible starting lineup:
Michael; Felipe, Luckassen, Luiz, Pileas; Sunjic, Rodrigues; Orsic, Dragomir, Quina; Dimata
Villarreal possible starting lineup:
Junior; Mourino, Foyth, Veiga, Pedraza; Comesana, Partey, Gueye, Buchanan; Pepe, Mikautadze
We say: Pafos FC 1-2 Villarreal
Pafos have avoided defeat in two of their three matches in the competition this season, and we are expecting this to be a tricky match for Villarreal. The Yellow Submarine have a lot of quality in the final third, though, and we are backing the visitors to navigate their way to all three points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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