Íñigo Pérez has put Villarreal's home form at the center of the build-up to Villarreal Vs Rcd Espanyol, saying the side must be stronger and more solid at La Cerámica before they can feel fully secure. The message comes as Villarreal prepare for a match that has taken on extra weight because Espanyol arrive after the dismissal of Manolo González.
Pérez framed the issue as one of balance. Villarreal, he said, have shown personality and competitiveness away from home, but that same security has not yet been transferred to their own stadium. He linked that problem directly to the win at Mestalla, saying the team needs better home numbers to build on it and to make sure strong performances away do not stand alone.
He was clear that the concern is not fear of the road. In his view, Villarreal can handle any ground, and he said there is no fear of going to Manacor, Anfield or the Bernabéu. The point, though, is that La Cerámica must start producing the same sense of control. That is why the home match against Espanyol is more than another date on the calendar; it is a test of whether Villarreal can make their own stadium match their level elsewhere.
The immediate challenge is made harder by the state of the opponent. Espanyol arrive after a coaching change, and Pérez expects a side that will come out with very high aggression and a strong desire to break its sporting drift. He said he does not expect anything less than a fierce attempt to change the mood, show themselves and alter the inertia. For Villarreal, that means the game is likely to be intense from the start, with little room to settle into comfort.
There is also a practical edge to the equation. Pérez confirmed three absences for the match: Ilias Akhomach, Nathan Saliba and Pape Gueye, with Gueye suspended. That leaves Villarreal having to manage a demanding fixture while adjusting to personnel gaps, even as Pérez has been satisfied with the team's collective pressing high up the pitch and with the statistics that place them among the teams most effective at recovering the ball in the opposition half.
That mix of encouragement and unfinished work is what makes the match matter now. Villarreal have the away profile of a side that can compete anywhere, but Pérez has made it plain that their home results still need urgent improvement if they are to turn that into something lasting. Against an Espanyol side in flux, the next answer will not come from words but from whether La Cerámica finally starts to look like a place where Villarreal can close the gap between promise and certainty.
