The Submarine concede in added time and share the spoils with RC Celta
A last-gasp goal denied Villarreal victory at Balaídos (1-1). The Yellows showed their most competitive version against a Celta side that rescued a point in stoppage time thanks to a header from Borja Iglesias, cancelling out a superb strike from Nicolas Pepe.
After two solid home wins against Oviedo (2-0) and Girona (5-0), the Submarine travelled to Vigo for their first away fixture of the season. Marcelino’s men were looking for a third consecutive victory to make it a perfect start to the league campaign before the international break.
To do so, they had to overcome Claudio Giráldez’s Celta, a side back in European competition after nine years, who were still chasing their first win of the season after draws against Mallorca and Betis away from home, and defeat at Balaídos to Bordalás’ Getafe on the opening day.
It was never going to be an easy task for Marcelino’s men, who travelled to Galicia with important absences in attack. Without Gerard or Ayoze, the squad did however include new signing Tani Oluwaseyi for the first time, as the Canadian striker started on the bench.
Despite those setbacks, Marcelino named an almost unchanged starting XI compared to the one that beat Girona. The only change was Alberto Moleiro replacing Yeremy Pino, who has joined Crystal Palace. The rest of the team remained the same as in the emphatic win over the Catalan side.
No breakthrough in the first half
Despite the promise of the clash between two sides with European pedigree, neither Villarreal nor Celta created clear chances before the half-hour mark. The Yellows were patient in possession but struggled to find openings in the final third, while Celta tried to capitalise on mistakes in Villarreal’s build-up play without managing to test Luiz Júnior.
On the half-hour, Moleiro ended a promising move with a near-post strike that was comfortably saved by Radu. Celta responded quickly, but in the 33rd minute Pablo Durán failed to connect cleanly with a cross from Bryan Zaragoza. Luiz Júnior gathered easily.
In the closing stages of the first half, the home side began to take control of possession, forcing Villarreal deeper into their own half, though the Yellows held firm to go into the break at 0-0.
A moment of magic from Pepe puts Villarreal ahead
Everything changed after the restart. In the 53rd minute, Villarreal broke the deadlock through Nicolas Pepe after a superb link-up with Etta Eyong. The Ivorian played a neat one-two with the Cameroonian, who returned the ball with a clever touch to send him clean through on goal. One-on-one with Radu, the No.19 showed his world-class finishing and slotted home to make it 0-1.
The Yellows grew in confidence after the goal, controlling the tempo and stifling Celta’s momentum. Marcelino made changes to consolidate his side, bringing on Thomas and then Parejo to strengthen the midfield. Later came the debut of Tani Oluwaseyi, while Ilias Akhomach continued to build rhythm after returning from a long-term knee injury. Renato Veiga also came on to reinforce the defensive unit.
Late heartbreak in stoppage time
In the 89th minute, Ilaix Moriba went close with a strike that shaved the post. The warning went unheeded, and deep into stoppage time, Celta finally found the equaliser. Borja Iglesias headed in from close range to make it 1-1, a bitter blow for Villarreal, who had the win within their grasp after a disciplined and highly competitive display at Balaídos.
