The Yellow Submarine overcome Athletic Club thanks to a late Moleiro strike and consolidate their place among the league’s frontrunners
Villarreal CF claimed victory against Athletic Club (1-0). The Yellows secured their third win in a row to complete a perfect week, having already defeated Osasuna and Sevilla. A late goal from Moleiro sealed all three points for Marcelino’s side against a direct rival, strengthening their position near the top of the LALIGA EA Sports standings.
In excellent form and riding a wave of results, Villarreal returned to the Estadio de la Cerámica looking to make it three wins in just seven days. The Submarine went into the game after back-to-back triumphs over Osasuna (2-1) at home and Sevilla (1-2) away.
With such a relentless run of fixtures, Marcelino rotated his squad. Nicolas Pepe, Georges Mikautadze, Ilias Akhomach, Thomas Partey and Luiz Júnior all returned to the starting XI after beginning on the bench against Sevilla. There was also a first start for Manor Solomon, rewarded after his decisive impact as a substitute in the previous two matches.
This was no ordinary match. Facing Athletic meant a clash with a direct rival. A Champions League side with the same ambitions as Villarreal, which made victory over the Basques all the more valuable, not only on a sporting level but also in terms of morale.
As early as the fifth minute, Pépé had the game’s first big chance, smashing the ball against the crossbar with a powerful left-footed effort. His shot came after Unai Simón had parried a fierce strike from Thomas Partey.
Before the 20-minute mark, Athletic responded with danger from a set piece, but Luiz Júnior and Mouriño did brilliantly to block close-range efforts that left little room to react.
Villarreal then regained the initiative, with a slick link-up between Pepe and Mikautadze almost producing the opener. Simón denied the Georgian forward, who had combined well with the lively Ivorian, drifting into space down the left.
Towards the end of the first half, Athletic grew into the contest but without carving out clear chances, and the sides went in level at 0-0.
The Submarine stepped up their intensity after the restart. Buchanan came on to inject pace, and by the 60th minute Villarreal had created two golden opportunities. First, Pepe latched onto a Buchanan lay-off from a Cardona cross, and soon after Rafa Marín’s header from a set piece flew just wide of the post.
Marcelino’s men pushed higher as the game entered its final stages, urged on by a lively Estadio de la Cerámica crowd. A triple substitution brought on Parejo, Oluwaseyi and Moleiro, and it was the latter who would make the difference. In the 77th minute, after the Canadian striker caused problems in the box, Moleiro pounced on a loose ball and fired an unstoppable strike into the back of the net for 1-0.
Villarreal looked to seal the result with dangerous counterattacks in the closing minutes, while Athletic searched for an equaliser. But the Yellows held firm to secure a third straight victory, rounding off a magical week with nine points that consolidate their place in third in the league table.
