Villarreal bow out of Europe after a narrow defeat to Anderlecht
Villarreal said farewell to Europe. The Yellows lost by the smallest of margins against RSC Anderlecht (0-1) and said goodbye to the dream of winning the UEFA Europa Conference League. Quique Setién’s side, despite creating countless chances, failed to find the net and conceded when Slimani scored.
After a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Belgium, Villarreal needed a win against Anderlecht to seal qualification for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The Submarine started strongly. Setién’s team gave a warning before the fifth minute of the match had even been played. Two actions by Álex Baena put RSC Anderlecht in trouble. In the first, he ran out of space after cutting back to the Belgian goalkeeper, while in the second he finished a move with a shot from the edge of the area.
The Yellows were comfortable on the pitch, generating superiority, taking advantage of the spaces and looking capable of combining in the vicinity of the opponent’s area. The game was flowing and soon after it was Morales and Gerard who had two good chances that went wide.
Villarreal’s footballing onslaught continued and Chukwueze, after an excellent pass from Gerard, found himself in front of Verbruggren and managed to beat him, but the veteran Jan Vertonghen denied the Nigerian striker a goal by clearing off the line.
For a few minutes, Villarreal slowed down the pace of the game and Anderlecht took advantage to try to sow doubts in Quique Setién’s team. The Yellows maintained their solidity and pressed at the end of the first half. On the verge of half-time, Morales came up against a fantastic save from Verbruggen and, after the rebound, Gerard sent the ball over the crossbar.
Anderlecht’s first chance of the second half came from Murillo. The Panamanian striker sent his shot high from inside the six-yard box after a defensive mix-up by the Submarine. Immediately, Setién’s team responded with a cross-shot from Alberto Moreno, which narrowly missed the target.
In the 54th minute, Jorge Cuenca tried his luck with a long-range shot, which the opposition goalkeeper was unable to block. The ball fell to Gerard, who was met by an impressive save from Verbruggen. The Belgian goalkeeper, from the ground, pulled off a superb save.
Despite the difficulty Villarreal were finding it difficult to score, the Yellows did not throw in the towel. However, in the 73rd minute, in a quick transition, they received a hard blow in the form of a goal. Slimani put Anderlecht ahead at the Estadio de la Cerámica. Villarreal needed to react and find a goal in less than 20 minutes.
In stoppage time, Versburggen was once again in the spotlight, saving a shot on the goal line. Villarreal lost by the minimum and said goodbye to the dream of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Lineups
Villarreal CF: Reina; Foyth, Mandi, J. Cuenca, Alberto M.; R. Terrats (Lo Celso, m. 59), Parejo, Álex B.; Chukwueze, Gerard (N. Jackson), A.J. Morales (Yeremy, m. 71)
RSC Anderlecht: Verbruggen; Murillo, Debast, Vertonghen, Ndiaye; Diawara, Verschaeren (Arnstad, m. 76); Dreyer, Refaelov (Ashimeru, m. 64), Amuzu (Stroeykens, m. 87); Raman (Slimani, m. 64).
Goals: 0-1. Min. 73: Slimani.
Referee: Marco Di Bello. Booked: Yeremy, Cuenca (Villarreal CF); Murillo, Verschaeren, Slimani, Ashimeru (RSC Anderlecht).
Matchday information: Game between Villarreal CF and RSC Anderlecht, corresponding to the second round of the UEFA Europa Conference League round of 16. Attendance: 16,212.
