The Argentine scored from a set piece and gave balance and solidity to the midfield
Villarreal defender Ramiro Funes Mori played his third consecutive game as a midfielder in the club’s 3-0 victory against Athletic Club, confirming the capacity and talent the No.4 possesses to perform at a high level in the Yellow Submarine’s engine room. The Argentina international gave balance and solidity to Villarreal in one of the toughest stadiums to visit in Spanish football.
If that were not enough, the Yellows defender showed his aerial ability and goalscoring capacity to rise above everyone else in the area and head the ball into the net from a corner. The Yellows No.4 scored his first goal for Villarreal, with that effort in San Mamés the 15th time he had found the back of the net as a professional footballer.
The Argentinean hailed ‘the strength’ of Javi Calleja’s side: “It was a complicated match. Athletic are a tough team to face at home. We knew how to soak up the pressure, we knew how to generate good opportunities and we were capable of converting them.”
What’s more, Funes Mori evaluated his new role as a midfielder. “It’s a new position for me. It’s worked well and it’s helped the team, so I’m happy,” he explained.
Finally, he underlined the importance of set pieces, from which two of Villarreal’s last five league goals have come from, saying. “We’re working hard on them and that’s bearing fruit. We have good set-piece takers like [Miguel] Layún and [Santi] Cazorla and great headers of the ball like Víctor Ruiz and Álvaro González.”
