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Liverpool travel to Spain to take on Villarreal in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday.With Villarreal currently fourth in La Liga, the trip to El Madrigal looks a daunting one for Jurgen Klopps side. But what can the Reds expect from their opponents?Sky Sports La Liga expert Terry Gibson gives us his verdict… Whats their style of play?Theyre not a team that scores a lot of goals, Gibson told Sky Sports. When they played Real Sociedad at the weekend, both teams have scored 42 goals this season. The difference is that Villarreal have conceded far fewer goals. Thats been their strength.In fact, Villarreal have the third best defence in La Liga with only the top two of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid bettering their efforts. At times, weve been able to compare them to Atletico in terms of their style of play, added Gibson. Theyre a lighter version of that. Villarreal welcome back some of their players in unusual fashion They keep it tight in a 4-4-2. Dont expect them to open up and try to blow Liverpool away in 20 minutes. Thats not their style. Theyre slow burners. Theyll tick over, ease themselves into a game through possession and rely on Cedric Bakambu to break down their defence.Is Bakambu the key man?The summer signing from Bursaspor has certainly made an impression in his first season with the club, scoring 12 goals in La Liga - more than twice as many as any other Villarreal player. But Gibson feels Bakambu needs more support from strike partner Roberto Soldado. Alll of Cedric Bakambus goals in La Liga for Villarreal so far this season Bakambu looks lively which is proving a saviour for them at the moment, he says. Soldado isnt scoring. We keep saying that hes creating and contributing to the partnership but he has to start scoring goals. He has to deliver against Liverpool over the two legs.So are they in form?Im concerned about their upcoming fixture against Liverpool, adds Gibson. I think they are running out of steam. There have been a couple of defeats prior to the game against Real Sociedad - and they werent great against Real Sociedad.Villarreal have had several good runs of form in La Liga, winning five in a row early in the campaign and then repeating that trick either side of Christmas. But Marcelinos men go into this tie having won only two of their last eight league games. Villarreal equal to Liverpool Villarreal manager Marcelino insists his side are a match for Liverpool and feel no pressure. Its an interesting one to call because theyve had that cushion between fourth and fifth and the teams below havent really put on the pressure, says Gibson. They havent really had to stretch themselves in La Liga. Can they turn the form back on? Itll be interesting.Who are the favourites?I would probably put Liverpool as favourites, particularly with the second leg at Anfield, adds Gibson. But Im a little unsure because I want to wait and see whether Villarreal could suddenly kick back into life and be the team they were six weeks ago. We know the importance of European football to a club like Villarreal as its a relatively small club despite their success over the past decade or so. Prior to that, there wasnt much history so a European semi-final against a legendary club like Liverpool is a huge occasion.Also See:Villarreal v Liverpool previewVillarreal equal to LiverpoolWholesale Nike MLB Jerseys . -- The boos poured down on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the end of a horrible first half. Cheap MLB Jerseys From China .S. -- Nikolaj Ehlers registered a hat trick for the third straight game and Jonathan Drouin had a goal and five assists as the Halifax Mooseheads hammered the host Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 10-1 on Tuesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. https://www.mlbjerseyschina.us/ . Reigning world champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland opened with a 12-2 rout of Winnipegs Jennifer Jones in a battle of teams bound for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Fake Nike MLB Jerseys . Artturi Lehkonen, Joni Nikko and Ville Leskinen had the other goals for Finland (1-0) while Juuse Saros stopped 28 shots. Tim Robin Johnsgard had the lone goal for Norway (0-2). Discount MLB Jerseys . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said.This story is part of ESPN The Magazines Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!New York IslandersOverall: 84 Title track: 61 Ownership: 110 Coaching:?108 Players: 63 Fan relations: 62 Affordability: 99 Stadium experience: 118 Bang for the buck:?19 Change from last year: -11The Islanders bolted Nassau Coliseum, played their first season in Brooklyn and posted their first playoff series victory in 23 years. But the loyal fans who made the commute on the Long Island Rail Road were far from pleased with the Barclays Center and the way ownership handled the transition, dragging down the overall ranking 11 points to 84th.Whats goodBuilding around fan favorite John Tavares, the Islanders have had back-to-back 100-point seasons for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 1981 and 1982. Once-maligned GM Garth Snow has put together a Stanley Cup contender, and the No. 61 rank in title track represents a 32-point leap from two years ago. Coach Jack Capuano seems to get little love (108th ranking), which is a little surprising since he has lasted five consecutive seasons behind the bench, the first time that has happened since the legendary Al Arbour did it from 1990-1994. The Islanders average ticket price of $49.21 was almost $13 below the league average, which is even more impressive given the cost of living in New York City. Throw in a winning team, and you get a 13-point jump in Bang for the Buck to 19th overall.Whats badThe Islanders ranked 28th in NHL attendance last season with a 13,626 average, nearly 2,000 less than their final campaign at Nassau Coliseum. Fanss have complained about the dim lighting and the numerous obstructed seats at the Barclays Center.dddddddddddd Brett Yormark, the CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, didnt help things when he suggested in an interview that those with blocked sightlines can watch the game on your mobile device. The game is on the scoreboard. Nassau Coliseum routinely ranked at or near the bottom of our standings in stadium experience, and Barclays Center has carried on the tradition with the worst rating among NHL teams. And a triple-digit ranking in ownership was the fans goodbye present to Charles Wang, who officially handed the reins to Jon Ledecky (uncle of Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky) and college roommate Scott Malkin.Whats newDespite the winning streaks, fans still arent convinced about this teams roster, which is down 23 spots from last year. But look no further than Ledecky, who promised at an introductory news conference that he will make the Islanders a world-class organization. And next year it might be stadium experience on the rise: There already are rumblings that the club could leave the Barclays Center after three seasons by exercising an opt-out clause. Newsday reported over the summer that Ledecky and Malkin have had talks about possibly moving the team to a new arena near Citi Field or Belmont Park. Wherever they skate, if the winning continues, the Islanders are a team that is worth the trip.Next: New York Rangers?| Full rankings ' ' '