Villarreal closed out a memorable 2015 with a win over local rivals Valencia 1-0 at El Madrigal.
A free kick from captain Bruno Soriano was enough to separate the teams as the Yellow Submarine continue to show they have the makings to become the dominant team in the Valencian region.
Following the derby, Outside90’s Dave Blackmore takes a look at how the result has affected both camps.
Speculation around Denis Suarez continues
Having hit the best run of form of his still young career, Denis Suarez’ immediate future at Villarreal is in doubt. His past few outings for the club have seen the young Spaniard reaching new heights and thus one of the big fish in the La Liga pond has come calling.
Suarez signed for Villarreal from Barcelona at the beginning of the season on a four-year contract but with a very public buy-back clause.
The clause itself does not come in to effect until the end of the season, at which time the Blaugrana would have to part with €3 million to resign the talented midfielder.
It seems though that Luis Enrique is keen on the 21-year-old and may look to make a play for him in the January transfer window, although at a higher price.
Losing Suarez now would be a crushing blow for El Submarino Amarillo as he has been one of their best and his replacements, be it Samu Castillejo, Samuel Garcia or Nahuel Leiva, have all failed to impress sufficiently thus far this season.
Gary Neville Still Looking For His First Win
Brought in to turn the tide of a free falling Valencia, Gary Neville is yet to get his first three points in charge of the team.
He has a victory in the Copa Del Rey to his name but has thus far drawn blanks in the league.
His appointment raised eyebrows as many said it was only his association with club owner Peter Lim that got him the job.
Gary, in partnership with his brother Phil who serves as assistant coach, are now in desperate need of a win and with Real Madrid serving as the teams next opponents, could be waiting even longer.
Being in charge of a club in which the fans effectively saw out the last manager, Neville has very little time to turn around his fortunes.
Also worth keeping an eye on will be what kind of transfer budget the Mancunian gets in January. Valencia currently have five first team players out with injury and many more out of form, so will he be given enough money to find the players to suit his system? Or will he become another English manager to try their hand overseas only to see them return to Britain?
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The Return of Leo Baptistao
Although he did not dazzle before getting injured, the return of Leo Baptistao will come as a big relief for Marcelino and his team.
A lot of pressure has been put on first choice forwards Cedric Bakambu and Roberto Soldado and thus the 22-year-old will be a welcome sight back on the pitch.
Only at Villarreal on loan from Atletico Madrid, the Brazilian will be looking to prove a point in the second-half of the season. When looking at his parent club, Baptistao will see a plethora of forwards all unable to impress at this current moment and see this as his stage to return to the Atleti front line.
Antoine Griezmann is yet to reach the heights of 2014-15, former Villarreal man Lucianno Vietto only has one league goal to his name, Jackson Martinez has not justified his transfer fee while the clock continues to tick on the career of Fernando Torres.
The second-half of the season is a perfect opportunity for Baptistao and if he can find form it will do wonders not only for his own career, but serve to lighten the load on Bakambu and Soldado.
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