The Yellows weren’t clinical enough in front of goal after a good display against Valladolid (0-0)
A draw that falls short. It was stalemate between Villarreal and Real Valladolid (0-0) in a tough but good all-round performance by the Yellows, who just weren’t clinical enough in front of goal to give them the three points from Pucela.
Javi Calleja stuck with the same lineup as he went for last week against RCD Espanyol. The Villarreal manager opted for the same starting eleven players in a 3-5-2 formation.
Fully aware of what was at stake at Zorrilla, both teams came out at a high tempo from kick-off, creating multiple chances in the first half.
The first chance of the game fell to the locals. With just seven minutes on the clock, Daniele Bonera cleared Nacho’s powerful strike from off the goal line to keep the score 0-0.
Just five minutes later, Toko Ekambi was put through on goal by a ball forward from Alfonso Pedraza, but Masip came out on top in the one-on-one.
As the game went on, Javi Calleja’s side were looking more comfortable in the opposition’s half and seeing more of the ball. Just before the half an hour mark, Pablo Fornals couldn’t take advantage of a great assist by Toko Ekambi, his driven shot saved by Masip, who kept the Yellows at bay once more.
The Yellow Submarine’s best chance of the game came just before the break. In just three touches, showing great combination play between Álvaro, Gerard and Fornals, Pedraza was sent through one-on-one against Masip. However, the Villarreal winger could not beat the Valladolid keeper either.
Villarreal pushed on after the restart and put the home side under pressure. As the match moved closer to the final whistle it opened up and became an end-to-end battle. In the 84th minute, Samu Chukwueze was unlucky as his shot was off target from the top of the box. One minute later, Daniele Verde responded and forced Sergio Asenjo to make a stretching save with his effort.
In the end, Villarreal came away with a point from the José Zorrilla stadium. The next match for the Yellows will be European competition against Sporting Lisbon at the José Alvalade stadium (Thursday, 9pm CET).
Lineups:
Real Valladolid: Masip; Javi Moyano (Antoñito, m. 66), K. Olivas, Joaquín, Nacho; Keko (Borja, m. 90), Míchel, R. Alcaraz, Hervías (Daniele Verde, m. 81); Óscar Plano and Sergi Guardiola.
Villarreal CF: S. Asenjo; M. Llambrich, Álvaro, Bonera (J. Costa, m. 87), Funes Mori, Pedraza; P.Fornals (Bacca, m. 71), Iborra, S. Cazorla; Gerard and Toko Ekambi (Chukwueze, m. 80).
Referee: Hernández Hernández. Booked: Óscar Plano, Rubén Alcaraz and Hervías for Valladolid; Funes Mori and Cazorla for Villarreal.
Match Information: Match between Real Valladolid and Villarreal CF corresponding to Matchday 23 of LaLiga played at the Estadio José Zorrilla in front of 16,842 spectators.
