Champions League Is Back! Another Quick Guide to One of the "Other Games"

Wednesdays least glamorous tie sees El Submarino Amarillo (The Yellow Submarine) host Trifylli (The Shamrock).

The compact El Madrigal will be filled with expectant Villarreal fans as they host 1971 runners up Panathinaikos.

When the draw was made back on the 19th of December most clubs would have been happy being pit against the Greek side.

But with impressive wins at both Werder and Inter rescuing qualification for Henk ten Cate’s team—at the expense of this seasons surprise package Anorthosis Famagusta—Manuel Pellegrini will surely know his side faces a test on Wednesday night.

Villarreal’s qualification was a much smoother ride, the Spanish sides only defeat coming away to Celtic when their place in the last 16 was already secured.

The Teams

Villarreal Club de Fútbol

The historical minnows from the Valencian Community played their first season in La Liga in 1998/1999—and have continued their meteoric rise since—reaching  the Champions League semi-final in 2006, losing to eventual runners-up Arsenal.

Finishing last season in second place, Villarreal—captained by Spain’s Euro 2008 winner Marcos Senna—have cemented their place in La Liga’s elite class. Proving that hard work married with skill on the pitch can not just match, but exceed the levels reached by some of Spain’s richer, more established clubs.

Wednesday’s match sees a return to knockout European competition—last seasons UEFA Cup campaign was ended at the first knockout stage by eventual winners Zenit—where the Villarreal fans have seen their team play in for the last 6 seasons.

One to Watch

I’m going to pick the 22 year old Italian, born in America who arrived in Spain after a spell in England with Manchester United. Yes, its Giuseppe Rossi.

The Italian-international striker boasts an impressive one-in-two scoring ratio since joining Villarreal in the summer of 2007—and with two goals in four appearances so far in this years competition—expect him to get at least one over the two legs.

P.A.E Panathinaikos FC

After a stormy few years for the Athens side, ten Cate has overseen Panathinaikos’ return to European knockout football for the first time since 2003—where they were knocked out of the UEFA Cup by eventual winners Porto.

Unfortunately for Pana fans breaking Olympicos’ league dominance already seems beyond them this season with the Red-Whites 11 points clear of the Greens already.

Perhaps this will be a blessing as it focus’ the players on their Champions League campaign—one that looked all but over—after the first three games produced only one point.

Wins in Germany and Italy set the stage for Giorgos Karagounis to fire in against Anorthosis on matchday six, a defeat which left the plucky Cypriots bottom of group B and sent the Greeks through as group winners.

One to Watch

There can only be one Giorgos Karagounis. The best player from Greece in the last 20 years—perhaps ever—is back at his hometown club after mixed spells in Italy with Inter and Portugal with Benfica.

Euro 2004 winner with the national side, the midfielder, 31, was tragically denied a place in the final after picking up an 87th minute yellow card against the Czech Republic in the semi.

Hardworking, visionary and with a penchant for important goals he will have to be at his best on Wednesday if the Shamrocks are to get a result, something they have never managed on Spanish soil.

So that completes my look at two of the “other” ties in this weeks Champions League. I’ll be back on Friday with a look at the clubs who have reached the last 16 of this years UEFA Cup.