The Yellows showcase their talent against Real Sociedad in an unforgettable first half hour
Villarreal knocked out Real Sociedad (3-1) in just half an hour after a true attacking masterclass. With more firepower than ever, the Submarino showed the impressive talent they possess up front when their key players are inspired and find spaces to exploit their qualities. With goals from Gerard, Mikautadze and Pepe, the Submarino defeated the visitors and climbed back up to third place, pending Atlético’s result in the Madrid derby this weekend.
After earning a valuable point against Alavés at Mendizorroza (1-1), Villarreal hosted the txuri-urdin at the Estadio de la Cerámica, where they had recorded three consecutive wins against Espanyol, Valencia and Elche.
The visitors arrived on a clear upward trajectory, focused on the European spots and boosted by their recent qualification for the Copa del Rey final. Since Matarazzo took over the dugout, the Basque side have become one of the most dangerous teams in the competition.
With the opening whistle, the action began at the cutting-edge yellow stadium. And what a show it was. In just half an hour, Villarreal — who delivered one of their best starts to a match this season — were already 3-0 up against Real Sociedad.
The first goal of the night came from Gerard. In the 7th minute, the legendary Catalan striker headed the ball into the net after a corner flicked on by Santi Comesaña with a spectacular acrobatic effort.
The second goal bore Mikautadze’s signature. In the 15th minute, the Georgian pushed home a loose ball inside the box. The move, beautifully crafted, began with Moleiro, who drove forward dangerously and threaded an excellent pass to Gerard. The No.7 could not strike cleanly, but his teammate was perfectly placed to send it into the net.
Marcelino’s side were unstoppable. And the third arrived soon after. In the 20th minute, Nicolas Pepe exploited the spaces behind the advanced Real Sociedad back line to make it 3-0. The Ivorian placed his finish into the far corner after a long run to meet a through ball from Mikautadze.
Villarreal could even have made it 4-0 before the break. The match had turned into a true attacking recital from the yellows. In the 44th minute, Nicolas Pepe struck a thunderous effort onto the crossbar from inside the box. Just a minute later, Luiz Júnior denied Oyarzabal with a brilliant stop. The Brazilian goalkeeper won the one-on-one battle against the Basque forward, who squandered the visitors’ first and only chance of the opening 45 minutes — a half completely dominated by Villarreal. Impressive.
At the restart, Real Sociedad found a goal to reduce the deficit. One minute into the second half, a shot from Sucic deflected off Pape Gueye’s back and looped in for 3-1 — a stroke of luck for the visitors.
Despite conceding early, Villarreal created three clear chances in the first ten minutes of the second half. First, Mikautadze could not connect with a fine cross from Pepe; then, Remiro cleared a powerful header from Mouriño right on the goal line; and finally, Pepe tested the txuri-urdin keeper with a firm strike from the edge of the area.
After a period of alternating possession, Villarreal produced a dangerous counter-attack in the 73rd minute. Gerard Moreno sent a well-weighted ball into space for Mikautadze, who outpaced his marker but sent his finish wide under pressure from Remiro.
The visiting keeper once again denied the Georgian in another one-on-one shortly after. This time, following an excellent dribble, the No.9 could not beat Remiro, who had closed down the angle perfectly.
In the 90th minute, Zakharyan had the chance to add tension to the closing stages. The Real midfielder received a good pass inside the box, but fired over the crossbar.
