Chapter 123: Europa League Draw: Villarreal and Manchester United Face Each Other Across the Sea

Check Dongqiu Di: Three consecutive wins, Villarreal firmly holds third place in the league, only two goal difference behind Barcelona, who rank first!

Check Dongqiu Di Pinned: Three assists in three rounds, Tang Ye surpasses Suarez to top the La Liga assist chart!

【Awesome, some people previously said Tang Ye wasn't worth 18 million Euros, now isn't that a direct slap in the face?】

【Tang Ye > Suarez, Villarreal ≈ Barcelona】

【Feels like if Ten Hag were coaching, Villarreal would have at least three more goal difference right now, taking the league title directly】

【Give it up, Ten Hag only knows how to shout a couple of times】

【Bold! Tang Tang Qiuwang's mentor is someone you can comment on? Really not afraid of cyberbullying?】

【Sigh, if Tang Ye had arrived half a season earlier, Villarreal would probably have qualified directly for the Champions League, no need to play the playoff against Monaco】

This season, Villarreal's popularity in the football world has skyrocketed; not just here in China, but local Spanish fans are also starting to turn their attention to this club.

Head coach Escrivá has unconsciously developed a habit: checking the news in major football newspapers and fan comments every night before going to sleep.

Although he knows most of it is cursing him, Escrivá just can't help it, damn it.

Current Escrivá is trapped in a very awkward situation.

Logically, the head coach should be the one most praised for the team's success, but that's not the case here at Villarreal.

The success against Málaga made fans trust Tang Ye even more.

This also turned Escrivá, who didn't start Tang Ye at first, into a clown.

Now the most discussed topic among Villarreal fans is: "If Tom had played in the first leg, could we have secured Champions League qualification?"

Escrivá feels terrible; he is the new head coach recruited by the team this season.

He has no authority in the hearts of Villarreal fans!

Two days later, in the afternoon, the Villarreal players finished training and came to Daoshitang.

This afternoon, besides having dinner in Daoshitang, they had another task: watching the live broadcast on TV.

"Hmm, still 20 minutes!"

Rodrigo leaned on the sofa; the TV in front of him was replaying highlights from last season's La Liga. Neymar stopped the ball with his right heel, performed some flashy dribbling, and then scored purely through individual ability.

"Amazing!"

"But..."

Tang Ye lay back on the sofa: "It's not live anyway, what's so good about a replay? Neymar is only in his twenties now; if you like watching, you can watch for several more years, maybe 10, or 15?"

"This isn't me watching."

Rodrigo explained: "They broadcast this before the live start; there seems to be a Serie A match coming up next."

"Alright."

Tang Ye nodded: "So what are we waiting for now? Waiting for you guys to appear on screen?"

Bruno placed his hand on Tang Ye's thigh, looked down at his phone: "The Europa League group stage draw starts in 18 minutes, Tang, don't you want to know who we're in the same group with?"

Oh right!

Tang Ye, who had been moving around, suddenly fell silent.

Checking the time, the first round of the Europa League group stage should be starting any moment.

Today happens to be the day of the draw!

"So is there any team you'd like to play against?"

Bruno asked Tang Ye.

A team you'd like to play against?

Tang Ye shook his head; he didn't have any team he particularly wanted to meet.

"Best to meet a slightly weaker team, that way we can go further."

"Hahaha! That's what I was thinking too."

"Haha!"

The players in Daoshitang laughed.

"No! Not needed, this is the Europa League, not the Champions League; for us, advancing from the group stage is very easy!"

Soriaño felt a bit confused by his teammates' avoidance of strong teams.

What's there to fear?

Villarreal doesn't need to be afraid, okay.

"What if we meet Roma and Manchester United? And Inter Milan and Fiorentina?"

Rodrigo reminded them.

"Manchester United? Inter Milan? Are they playing in the Europa League too?"

Soriaño was obviously unclear about which specific teams were participating in the Europa League this season; hearing the team names Rodrigo listed, his expression immediately lost its calm.

Rodrigo took out his phone, which displayed all 48 teams participating in the Europa League this season.

Manchester United, Inter Milan, Fiorentina, Roma, and Eindhoven were among the most eye-catching teams on the list.

"Damn..."

Soriaño finally lost his calm this time.

He thought Villarreal wouldn't face much pressure in the Europa League, but now it seems that's not the case.

There are still many teams stronger than us!

Manchester United and Inter Milan have won the Champions League!

"Then let's just hope our luck is a bit better."

Soriaño smiled awkwardly.

Tang Ye wasn't particularly concerned about the draw; he simply lay on the sofa and started playing a game.

The live television broadcast began.

"Here it comes, here it comes!"

"God bless us!"

"Vamos Villarreal!"

The commotion stirred up by the players immediately drew Escrivá and Matí, who were eating dinner further away, over to them.

"Hmm, I thought the draw wouldn't start until 7 p. m."

Escrivá stood behind the sofa, looking down at Tang Ye, who was lying on it playing FIFA: "Tang, you don't look very nervous. Aren't you afraid we might draw some formidable team?"

"It's fine; we're so strong that we can beat whoever we draw."

No sooner had he spoken than Tang Ye, controlling Allé, scored another goal; the Ivorian had completed his second hat-trick of the day in the game!

"Really? But what if we play Manchester United?"

"Uh..."

Tang Ye turned off his phone: "It won't happen; we won't face Manchester United."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure!"

Tang Ye had a premonition.

The Yellow Submarine would absolutely not face Manchester United!

The players' attention shifted to the television screen, where the host was chattering endlessly into his microphone.

"He's so long-winded."

Tang Ye felt somewhat speechless: "Why not let me go up and draw? My luck is excellent; I could draw a very favorable position for us."

"Haha, so you're aware that your luck is good?"

Escrivá's hands roamed over Tang Ye's shoulders: "Actually, whether it's a good draw or not doesn't matter much; as long as we don't encounter Inter Milan, Manchester United, or Roma, we can handle any other team."

"And Saint-Étienne; Saint-Étienne is also very strong!"

Rodri added.

"Right, and Saint-Étienne; as long as we avoid these four teams, everything else is manageable!"

It was clear that Escrivá still had considerable faith in his players' abilities!

"It's starting, it's starting!"

Musacchio shouted twice, bringing Escrivá's attention back to the television.

The draw guest walked out, picked a slip of paper from a glass bowl filled with slips.

After picking it, he displayed it before the camera.

MUN (Manchester United)

"Oh! Manchester United!"

Bruno shouted; the first team drawn, Manchester United, automatically entered Group A.

This was the Group A seed!

"Appearing so quickly?"

Tang Ye was somewhat surprised.

For some reason, he now felt an inexplicable tension?

The guest approached the second bowl; if he drew a second-seed team, it would automatically enter Group A, but if it was another first-seed team, that team would automatically be assigned to Group B.

On screen, through the glass bowl, the guest's hand grasped one of the slips of paper.

The Villarreal first-team dining hall suddenly fell silent; Tang Ye glanced up at Escrivá above him, the Spanish manager pressing both hands firmly onto Tang Ye's head.

Tang Ye:...

"Please, please, please..."

Musacchio clasped his hands together and began to pray; as a second-seed team, Villarreal must absolutely not collide with Manchester United!

This guest also enjoyed stirring things up; after picking up a slip, he didn't open it but put it back, stirring his hand around in the glass bowl.

"Damn!"

The Villarreal players grew somewhat annoyed at the antics, but once the guest had selected his second slip, the room suddenly fell silent again.

"Please, please, please..."

Here it comes!

FRB (Fenerbahçe)

"Wow!"

Tang Ye pushed Escrivá away and jumped up from the sofa alongside Rodri.

"I told you we wouldn't face Manchester United!"

"Phew..."

Escrivá breathed a sigh of relief.

In this season's Europa League, Manchester United and Inter Milan were the two strongest teams.

For Villarreal to avoid Manchester United in the group stage was undoubtedly good news!

"Haha!"

"Woohoo!"

With only two teams drawn so far, the Villarreal players had already begun celebrating.

A nice start!

The draw continued; after 12 teams had been drawn, Villarreal still had not appeared, but the four teams in Group A were now all confirmed.

Pot 1: Manchester United.

Pot 2: Fenerbahçe.

Pot 3: PSV Eindhoven.

Pot 4: Zorya.

They were all quite strong teams, though certainly none as strong as Manchester United.

Mr. Sitting Like has drawn a favorable position!

Tang Ye clenched his fists tightly, wondering only which three teams Villarreal would draw?

When the 25th team was drawn, Roma entered Group E.

By now, four groups were fully formed, yet Villarreal still had not appeared!

Tang Ye sat back on the sofa, looked up at Escrivá above his head, and asked, "Are we certain we have Europa League qualification?"

"Nonsense, of course we do!"

"Then why haven't we appeared yet?"

"Don't rush; there are 48 teams!"

"Oh, oh."

Tang Ye nodded.

To be honest, he was already growing somewhat impatient from the wait.

VCF, where is VCF?

The guest approached the next glass bowl and drew a slip of paper.

VCF (Villarreal)

"Hmm!"

The players in front of the television watched the screen with rapt attention.

Villarreal entered Group L!

Villarreal had not only avoided Manchester United; the two teams could not even appear on the same screen.

Group A and Group L, facing each other across the sea!

"Haha!"

Tang Ye rubbed his hands; currently, Group L contained only two teams.

Villarreal from Pot 2, and Zurich from Pot 4.

He had never even heard of this team; they were probably terribly weak.

"Perfect!"

Escrivá raised both hands.

Villarreal was already on the right path!

Keep watching!

When the 31st team was reached, the players grew tense.

If this slip of paper contained a Pot 3 team, it would enter Group L.

That is, the final group where Villarreal was located!

Open it!

Ajax

"Is it a Pot 3 team?"

Just as Tang Ye posed the question, Ajax entered Group L.

"..."

"Damn!"

Escrivá immediately became unhappy.

Among all Pot 3 teams, Ajax could be said to be among the strongest.

Villarreal had drawn a fine Pot 4 team, but a very unfortunate Pot 3 team.

"Sigh..."

Bruno was sighing, but as captain, he quickly rallied: "It's fine, it's fine; we're no worse than Ajax. The Pot 1 team is the key; let's see the Pot 1 draw."

"Yes, that's right."

Escrivá regained his smile: "Among the remaining Pot 1 teams, there aren't many strong ones; as long as we draw a decent one, qualifying won't be a problem. We can beat Ajax."

"The strongest, Manchester United, is already out!"

OK!

Keep watching!

When the 36th team was reached, it belonged to Group L!

"Here it comes!"

The players' hearts hung in the air.

The remaining Pot 1 teams were Schalke 04, Shakhtar Donetsk, Athletic Bilbao, and Inter Milan.

There were still quite a few left; due to same-league restrictions, Villarreal would not face Athletic Bilbao.

A 33% probability of drawing Inter Milan; that probability was actually quite small.

But strictly speaking, was it really not that small?

The guest took the slip of paper out of the glass bowl.

SOU (Southampton)

"Phew..."

"Damn, you scared the hell out of me!"

He breathed a sigh of relief; after all that, they had drawn a second-pot team.

Southampton was drawn into Group D, and the draw continued.

Walking up to the next glass bowl, the guest picked the slip of paper he favored.

He pulled it out, then faced the camera with an eerie smile.

Villarreal players:?

The guest put the slip of paper back!

He drew another one!

"Please, please, please, please..."

"God, God!"

INT (Inter Milan)

"..."

The Villarreal canteen was utterly quiet; Tang Ye secretly took a sip of cola, then looked up at Escrivá above his head.

"Mr. Fe, Mr. Ferran, what should we do now?"

Escrivá took a step back, inhaled deeply, then shook his head: "Don't ask me; I don't know either..."

Setting aside fourth-pot Zurich, the third-pot teams in Group L were the Eredivisie's big three, the perennial league champions Ajax.

And the first-pot team was none other than Inter Milan, the damn 2009–10 UEFA Champions League winners!

So after all that, Manchester United's Group A wasn't some group of death at all.

Group L was the group of death!

"Screw this!"

Bang!

Bruno smashed the empty cola bottle onto the floor.

Clearly, this draw result was not what anyone had wanted to see.

The UEFA Europa League group stage featured a total of 48 teams, with the final 24 advancing to the knockout round to join the 8 teams eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, making up a round of 32.

This meant that to advance to the knockout stage, a Europa League participant had to finish in the top two of their group!

And as a second-pot team, Villarreal now faced a pincer movement from Inter Milan and Ajax!

"Uh, although it's Inter Milan, we indeed didn't draw Manchester United, right?"

Tang Ye looked at Rodri beside him.

"But Inter Milan doesn't seem much weaker than Manchester United, does it?"

What a pity; Tang Ye's luck was good, but he couldn't share his good fortune with the team.

Villarreal's European campaign this season would be hellish difficulty!

【At 38 years old, you are about to lead the team's young players in the 2037–38 UEFA Europa League; in the draw ceremony, you were extremely unlucky to draw Inter Milan, the freshly crowned 2035–36 UEFA Champions League winners, which presents a tremendous challenge for you and your team. Fair Play Mechanism triggered!】

【In the upcoming league, Copa del Rey, and Europa League matches, reach a combined total of 15 goals plus assists. Reward: Random Advanced Club Chest.】

Current progress: 0/15

(End of chapter)