A convincing and hard-working Villarreal bet Real Sociedad with goals from Coquelin and Paco Alcácer
Making progress! Villarreal won their fourth pre-season friendly, with goals from Francis Coquelin and Paco Alcácer seeing off Real Sociedad 2-0 in a hard-fought tie at the Mini Estadi at the Villarreal CF Training Ground (Ciudad Deportiva), where the Yellows looked good, worked hard and knew how to control the game to come away with the victory.
The final test of pre-season for Unai Emery’s side is next Saturday against Levante UD (8:30pm CEST, Mini Estadi), which will be the fifth and final friendly before the start of the 2020/21 LaLiga season.
The match started at full intensity. In the first minute, the Yellows went ahead through a low Coquelin effort which went just inside the post after a great ball recovery from Samu Chukwueze.
Emery’s side were comfortable with and without the ball, and although Real Sociedad tried to react – Sergio Asenjo saved a penalty – it was the Submarine who scored once more around the half-hour mark. After a nice piece of play from Moi Gómez, he was brought down and Alcácer stepped up to fire home from the spot.
With the game at 2-0, the side from San Sebastián pushed forward to try and get back in the game, but the home side were able to contain the Basque outfit.
The second half was even and the fight was over the middle of the pitch, with few clear chances. With a completely different lineup for Real Sociedad and a number of changes for the Yellows, both coaches saw a number of players get a run out and the scoreboard stayed the same.
Line-ups:
- Villarreal CF: Asenjo; Peña, Albiol, Chakla, Jaume Costa; Chukwueze, Coquelin, Iborra ©, Moi Gómez; Take Kubo, Paco Alcácer.
- Also played: Ontiveros (min. 47), Mario Gaspar (min. 50), Parejo (min. 63), Raba (min. 63),), Copete (min. 63), Fer Niño (min. 63), Mario González (min. 81), Migue Leal (min. 81).
- Real Sociedad: Moyá; Zaldua ©, Zubeldia, Aritz, Portu, Willian José, Guridi, Monreal (Jeremy Blasco, min. 36), Barrenetxea, Le Normand, López.
- Also played: Moyá, Gorosabel, Aranbarri, Sagnan, Aihen, Zubeldia, González de Zárate, Navarro, Alkain, Djouahra, Bautista.
- Goals: 1-0. Min. 2: Coquelin. 2-0. Min. 29: Paco Alcácer, (penalty).
- Referee: Iván Caparrós Hernández. Booked: Aritz (Real Sociedad)
- Matchday information: Fourth pre-season game for Villarreal, at the Mini Estadi at the Villarreal CF Training Ground (Ciudad Deportiva).
