Villarreal lose against the side from Madrid in a match full of bad luck
Villarreal lost against Getafe in a match where the Yellows had clear chances to have taken a better result away from the match (1-2). The goals of the game came from Jorge Molina, Leandro Cabrera (own goal) and Ángel. The Yellow Submarine had a penalty in the 89th minute which Karl Toko Ekambi missed.
The first great chance of the match went to the Yellows. Pablo Fornals crossed in from the right and Gerard played it across the goal (m.10). Only a few seconds later, Getafe hit back with an effort from the edge of the goal, with Sergio Asenjo pulling off a fantastic save to deny Francisco Portillo. Fantastic reflexes.
The Yellow Submarine carried on pushing. Samu Chukwueze tried his lock with a curling left-footed shot, which just went over the bar, while on the half-hour mark, it was Ramiro Funes Mori’s chance to go close. The Argentine defender headed a Santi Cazorla cross, making David Soria push it out for a corner.
The first half wasn’t without controversy. Mario Gaspar headed in a dangerous position, and the ball hit the arm of a Getafe defender. Referee Xavier Estrada Fernández did not see it as a penalty. Neither did VAR.
Getafe got ahead on the scoreboard in the 51st minute, with Molina’s powerful shot going in near Asenjo’s right post (0-1).
Villarreal did not give up. Gerard Moreno received a pass from Fornals and after getting away from his defender put David Soria to the test. The Submarine went all out. Toko Ekambi got free down the right wing, crossed the ball in and Cazorla hot a first-time shot that was somehow kept out by David Soria. Exasperating.
The equaliser came in the most unexpected way. Carlos Bacca crossed the ball into the box from the left and Cabrera, in his attempt to clear, put the ball in the back of his own net (1-1, m. 75). A thrilling quarter of an hour of play lay ahead.
Getafe sat back and waited for the chance to catch Villarreal on the counterattack. And they found it. Jaime Mata played a through ball forward to Ángel who beat his defenders and kept his cool to beat Asenjo with a lob (1-2, m. 88).
Bad lack taunted the Yellows in the 89th minute. Funes Mori had two chances to head the ball home from close range but hit the crossbar twice to Yellows fans’ desperation. In the following corner, Toko Ekambi also hit the woodwork and the rebound came out to the No.17 who was kicked in the face which led the referee to point to the penalty spot. Toko Ekambi himself stepped up to take the spot-kick but his effort flew over the bar.
The next Villarreal match is against Espanyol in the second leg of the Copa del Rey Round of 16 (Thursday, 8:30pm CET).
Lineups:
Villarreal CF: Asenjo; Mario Gaspar, Funes Mori, Víctor Ruiz, Jaume Costa; Cáseres, Iborra (Bacca, m. 67); Chukwueze (Toko Ekambi, m. 56), Fornals, Cazorla; Gerard.
Getafe CF: David Soria; Foulquier (Bruno, m. 73), Djené, Cabrera, Antunes; Portillo, Maksimovic, Arambarri, Cristóforo (Samu, m. 68); Mata, Jorge Molina (Ángel, m. 86).
Goals: 0-1. Min. 51: Jorge Molina. 1-1. Min. 75: Cabrera (own goal). 1-2. Min. 88: Ángel.
Referee: Estrada Fernández. Booked: Gerard, Jaume Costa, Toko Ekambi, Funes Mori, Álvaro (from the bench) (Villarreal); Aramabarri, Foulquier, Ángel (Getafe).
Matchday information: LaLiga Matchday 19 at the Estadio de la Cerámica in front of an attendance of 13,671.
