There are weeks in football when the main storyline is not only the next match, but the shape of the road that follows it. For Iñigo Pérez, this is one of those stretches. He will take part this afternoon in the Champions League draw for the first time as a direct participant, and that adds another layer to a Villarreal moment that is already defined by change, expectation and a need for immediate results.
Tomorrow, though, the focus shifts back to the pitch, and Pérez has made clear what matters most in the short term: getting his first victory with this group. The message is simple enough. The European draw may shape the bigger picture, but the next step is still the next step, and Villarreal want to make sure the immediate one is a winning one.
Confidence, but not complacency
Pérez said the team is in good shape and that there are no injury absences, which is a useful starting point for any coach entering a busy stretch. He also pointed to a side that is producing chances in volume, even if the finishing has not yet matched the overall flow of play. That imbalance matters. A team that gets shots is usually doing something right. A team that cannot convert enough of them is still leaving results on the table.
His view was not pessimistic. If anything, it was patient. Pérez argued that the finishing percentage has been low, but he prefers that kind of attacking disposition because he believes the quality of the players will eventually show through. In other words, the process is encouraging even if the output has not fully caught up yet.
Nathan Saliba adds a different profile
One of the clearest signs that Villarreal are still shaping this squad is the arrival of Nathan Saliba. Pérez said he is pleased with the signing, describing him as a player who can add something the team may be missing, or at least only have in small doses. That is a revealing line, because it suggests the addition is not just about depth. It is about balance, and about finding a little more of what the team has lacked in key moments.
That kind of move fits the broader picture around Villarreal right now. The club is preparing for a European draw, adjusting its squad and trying to turn good intentions into a first win for this group. These are separate threads, but they are connected by the same idea: progress is being measured not just in names and fixtures, but in whether the team starts to look more complete.
Pérez also referenced lessons learned in Santander, a reminder that the team is still carrying recent experiences into this phase. And while he pointed to the environment at Mendizorroza and comparisons with the Metropolitano, the underlying point remained the same: Villarreal know the margins matter. The setting changes, but the need to manage details does not.
That is why the coming days feel important even before the draw is known. The Champions League moment gives the club a bigger horizon, but tomorrow is still the first test of whether this version of the team can turn promise into a result. Pérez said he wants that first victory as soon as possible, and especially tomorrow. For a coach balancing a European future with immediate expectations, that is as honest a target as it gets.
