The Yellows were defeated by Tottenham in their first UEFA Youth League clash
Villarreal U19s were unable to come away with a positive result from their visit to Tottenham Hotspur in the opening game of the prestigious UEFA Youth League. It was a wild encounter, full of goals and chances, which ended up going the English side’s way thanks to their greater cutting edge (5-3).
The young Yellows returned to a magical competition. Thanks to the first team’s achievements last season, the Cantera Grogueta’s young talents had a new opportunity to shine across Europe.
The first big chance of the game came in the tenth minute. Sergio Barrera broke down the right and Iker Adelantado fired narrowly wide arriving from deep. The ball brushed past the right post.
Spurs made no mistake with their first real chance. Thompson broke into the box down the left and beat Carlos López with a precise finish to the far post (1-0, 15’).
The Yellows drew level just seven minutes later. Hugo López played a superb pass inside for Sergio Barrera, whose curling left-footed strike from distance surprised the Tottenham goalkeeper. A stunner.
They were Villarreal’s best minutes, moving the ball with purpose and pushing for a goal to put them in front. However, it was the London side who scored next. Elliot-Parris pounced on a loose ball inside the area to smash home (2-1, 39’).
The second half began with hope, and Villarreal levelled immediately after the restart. Seydou Llopis beat his man on the wing and cut back for Iker Adelantado, who finished clinically from the edge of the box (2-2, 49’).
The joy did not last long. Rowswell headed in at the near post from a free kick (3-2, 55’).
The game turned chaotic. Villarreal equalised once more from a corner, with Iker Abad heading into the net to lift the Yellows for the final stretch (3-3, 62’).
Spurs’ fourth goal came with misfortune. Pedro Luque put the ball into his own net in an attempt to clear (4-3, 70’).
With Villarreal pushing forward, the hosts struck again for the definitive fifth. Williams Barnett coolly finished from a low cross (5-3, 82’).
Villarreal U19s’ next game will be against Levante in Matchday 2 of Group VII of the División de Honor.
Line-ups:
Tottenham: Archer; Rowswell, Byrne (Upson, m. 79), Hardy, Byfield, Olusesi, Irow, Black, Elliot-Parris (Feeney, m. 79), Williams-Barnett (Boast, m. 86), Thompson (Adewole, m. 53).
Villarreal: Carlos López; Max Petterson, Pedro Luque, Sergio Barrera (Mauro Roca, m. 56), Unai Rodríguez, Hugo López, Seydou Llopis (Daniel Reyes, m. 73), Iker Adelantado (Thiago Albiol, m. 73), Moussa Diallo, Moussa Traoré (Álvaro Alcaide, m. 81), Iker Abad.
Goals: 1-0. Min. 15: Thompson. 1-1. Min. 22: Sergio Barrera. 2-1. Min. 39: Elliot-Parris. 2-2. Min. 49: Iker Adelantado. 3-2. Min. 55: Rowswell. 3-3. Min. 62: Iker Abad. 4-3. Min. 70: Pedro Luque (OG). 5-3. Min. 82: Williams Barnett.
Referee: Matteo Marchetti (ITA). Booked: Williams-Barnett (Tottenham); Sergio Barrera, Mauro Roca, Max Petterson (Villarreal).
Stadium: Tottenham Training Centre (Enfield).
