Monforte’s side were unable to get anything against the third-place team, but stay out of the relegation zone
Villarreal Women were beaten 4-0 by Real Madrid in the match corresponding to Matchday 1 of the 2022/23 Finetwork Liga F season, which was postponed due to the refereeing team’s non-appearance. Despite the heavy defeat, Villarreal Women remain out of the relegation places.
Sara Monforte’s side welcomed one of the leading teams in the competition, Real Madrid Women, to the Mini Estadi at the Ciudad Deportiva José Manuel Llaneza, who were visiting Vila-real with the aim of picking up a win that would take them closer to the top of the table. The Yellows, for their part, were looking to build on the good football they showed in the draw against Valencia and try to make it three points from three to move away from the relegation places and break a run of five games without a win in the league.
Monforte was unable to rotate the team due to a number of absentees, so she fielded the same players who played in the last game against Valencia. It was a positive start to the game for the Yellows who, during the first few minutes, took control of the ball and were the team that generated the most danger.
The first big chance of the game came from a set piece. Lara Mata appeared unmarked inside the area to ge ton the end of a hanging ball, but her effort went over the crossbar after she failed to make proper contact. Ainoa Campo, who played a key role in the previous game when she set up Sheila Guijarró in the equaliser against the Valencia, tried her luck from outside the box on two occasions, forcing the Madrid goalkeeper to stretch to prevent the opener.
At half-time, it was still a stalemate between the two sides – with Elena de Toro barely troubled during the first half – and everything was still open for an exciting second half.
At the start of the second half, Villarreal Women managed to prolong the good rhythm they had set to the game from the start. The first chances for the Yellows in the second half came soon after. In the 50th minute, María Llompart was on the verge of scoring one of the goals of the week with a long-range free kick that Misa had to save to prevent the ball from going into the top corner of her goal.
The Yellows continued to generate danger on the Madrid goal and the coach, Alberto Toril, moved the bench to turn the game around. The changes were soon to have an effect, and they took the lead in the 68th minute through Esther.
The home side brought fresh legs onto the pitch in search of an equaliser and Belén Martínez, Estefa Lima and Claudia Iglesias came on after the visitors’ goal. However, Real Madrid would increase the lead by three more goals with goals from Rocío and Nahikari, who scored a brace.
Next up for Villarreal Women is a home match on Sunday 6th November at 12pm CET against Real Betis, in a game corresponding to Matchday 8 of the 2022/23 Finetwork Liga F season at the Mini Estadi at the José Manuel Llaneza Training Ground.
Lineups:
Villarreal Women: Elena de Toro; Nerea, Lara Mata, Giménez, I. Miguélez; Ainoa (min. 72, Claudia I.), Cienfu (min. 72, Estefa), Soldevila, M. Llompart (min. 84, Nerea Sánchez); Kanteh (min. 63, Belén), Sheila (min. 84, Lucía Romero).
Real Madrid: Misa; K. Robles (min. 46, Rocío), Ivana, Kathellen, Olga; Feller (min. 46, Teresa), Freja Siri (min. 46, M. Oroz), Zornoza, Athenea; Weir (min. 81, Moller), Esther (min. 75, Nahikari).
Goals: 0-1. Min. 68: Esther. 0-2. Min. 79: Rocío. 0-3. Min. 86: Nahikari. 0-4. Min. 90: Nahikari.
Referee: Raquel Suárez González. Booked: Sheila, Giménez, Claudia I. (Villarreal); Olga (Real Madrid).
Incidencias: Partido entre el Villarreal Femenino y el Real Madrid Femenino correspondiente a la jornada 7 de la Finetwork Liga F 2022/23 disputado en el Mini Estadi de la Ciudad Deportiva José Manuel Llaneza ante 1.027 espectadores.
