Villarreal CF claim victory at the RCDE Stadium thanks to goals from Gerard Moreno and Alberto Moleiro
Villarreal CF earned an important and solid win over RCD Espanyol (0-2) to stay among the top positions in the league table. Marcelino García Toral’s side had to dig deep in the opening stages against an intense opponent and eventually prevailed thanks to goals from Gerard Moreno and Alberto Moleiro.
The match began with the home side enjoying more possession and creating the first threats of the game. The Yellow Submarine, who made as many as eight changes to the starting line-up compared to their last UEFA Champions League fixture, gradually settled into the match and began to take control of possession and the tempo.
The first clear chance for Villarreal came in the 24th minute. Tajon Buchanan whipped in a low cross to the near post that Gerard Moreno was inches away from turning in, but Dmitrovic managed to clear the danger.
Marcelino’s men kept pressing for the opener, and their persistence paid off in the 42nd minute. A clever backheel from Santi Comesaña found Gerard Moreno on the edge of the box, and the captain fired first-time into the back of the net to put the Yellows ahead (0-1) just before the break.
In the second half, Villarreal continued to show their attacking intent. In the 56th minute, a quick counter-attack led by Buchanan down the right flank ended with a direct pass to Alberto Moleiro. The midfielder struck first-time, forcing a fine save from Dmitrovic, but reacted quickly to slot in the rebound and make it 0-2.
The Yellows could have extended their lead through Gerard, after a good pass from Pedraza, and with a powerful Comesaña effort that crashed against the post. However, the scoreline remained unchanged. In the closing minutes, Luiz Júnior took centre stage with several fine saves to keep a clean sheet. The Brazilian goalkeeper denied two efforts from Kike in the 89th and 90th minutes, as well as a strike from Dolan in stoppage time.
Villarreal CF’s next match will be after the international break, on Saturday 22nd November at 9pm CET, against RCD Mallorca at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
