Villarreal rescue a point in Vitoria (1-1)

The Yellows earn a draw against Alavés thanks to a stunning goal from Pepe

Villarreal earned a draw away to Alavés (1-1) in a tough, scrappy match played under heavy rain. The Yellows showed great effort and determination and eventually picked up a point thanks to a superb stoppage-time strike from Nicolas Pepe.

The first half-hour offered few chances and plenty of battling. With Alavés determined to keep possession and the Submarine tirelessly contesting the midfield, the opening 30 minutes were defined by physical duels and constant fights for the ball.

In the 40^th minute, and in a moment of pure misfortune, a clever backheel from Toni Martínez inside the six-yard box deflected off Rafa Marín’s head and ended up giving the hosts the lead.

Right at the end of the first half stoppage time came the best chance for Marcelino’s side. Pepe headed a long cross into the box that fell to Comesaña, who struck first time twice from close range after Sivera rushed out, but the Alavés goalkeeper produced two excellent saves.

After the break, the weather intensified and so did the tempo of the game. With Alavés looking more lively and Villarreal pushing for the equaliser, the ball began to move quickly from one area to the other. In the 74^th minute, Pepe had a clear opportunity after bursting forward with pace and curling a superb shot towards the top corner that missed by centimetres.

Ten minutes later, the equaliser almost arrived. From a powerful long throw by Freeman, Koski flicked the ball backwards, sending it past Sivera, but the effort struck the post to Villarreal’s frustration.

And just when it seemed all was lost, Nicolas Pepe’s quality made the difference. In the 98^th minute, with just a minute remaining, the Côte d’Ivoire international drove into the Alavés box, shifted onto his left foot and fired a sensational shot into the top corner to rescue a valuable point for the Yellows.

Villarreal’s next match will be on Friday 20^th March at 9pm CET at the Estadio de la Cerámica against Real Sociedad on Matchday 29 of the 2025/26 LALIGA EA Sports season.