The Yellows’ trip to the Visit Mallorca Estadi saw then leave without their first win of the season, despite being the better team
The first win of the season is resisting Villarreal. The Submarine played well at the Visit Mallorca Estadi, but it was not enough to get the three points, and they ended up drawing against RCD Mallorca (0-0) on Matchday 5 of the 2021/22 LaLiga season.
Villarreal started the match by dominating and reaching Mallorca’s box on a number of occasions. Both Arnaut Danjuma and Boulaye Dia looked dangerous, and before the second minute, both of them could have scored the opener as the ball pinballed around the box, but the home side were able to clear it. Only ten minutes later, Danjuma turned in the box and played the ball back to Manu Trigueros, whose shot went over the ball. The chances that the Yellows had in the rest of the first half also fell to the same men.
With half an hour on the clock, Pervis Estupiñán played a cross in from the left, which Dia was unable to make any real contact with, and Manolo Reina took control of the ball. Before half-time, Danjuma, from a direct free-kick, could have got the game’s first goal, but his ball went just past the outside of the post. Fer Niño, on loan from Villarreal, had the best chance of the home team in the opening 45 minutes, but he was unable to keep his volley on target.
After half-time, Unai Emery’s team struggled to get going, despite a cross-cum-shot by Estupiñán which went just off target. The Basque head coach looked to the bench, and with 11 minutes gone of the second half, he made a quadruple substitution. Dani Parejo, Alberto Moreno, Yeremy Pino and Paco Alcácer replaced Francis Coquelin, Trigueros, Dia and Danjuma. Emery’s plan had the effect he wanted, and the players who came off the bench created space between the lines and were causing problems to the opposition defence. Yeremy just kept in a ball that looked to be heading out of play with an acrobatic effort, and Alberto Moreno volleyed towards goal, but Reina made a good save.
The home side’s defence did not have many weaknesses, and controlling possession was not enough. Parejo and Yeremy both had chances to score, but the first goal did not come. Villarreal have drawn for the fourth game in a row in LaLiga. Next up in LaLiga for Emery’s men is a home game against Elche on Wednesday 22nd September (10pm CEST) at the Estadio de la Cerámcia.
Lineups:
RCD Mallorca: M. Reina; Maffeo (J. Sastre, m.37), Valjent, B. Olivan, J. Costa; Take (Lee Kang In m.91), Salva Sevilla, Baba (Battaglia, m.91), Dani Rodríguez; Amath (Lago Junior, m.60), F. Niño (Hoppe, m.60).
Villarreal CF: Rulli; Foyth, Albiol, Pau, Estupiñán (R. Peña, m.73); M. Trigueros (A. Moreno, m.56), Coquelin (Parejo, m.56), Capoue; Moi Gómez, Dia (Paco Alcácer, m.56), Danjuma (Yeremy, m.56).
Referee: Del Cerro Grande. Booked: J. Sastre, Amath (RCD Mallorca); Dia, Yeremy, Albiol (Villarreal CF).
Matchday information: Match between RCD Mallorca and Villarreal CF, corresponding to LaLiga 2021/22 Matchday 5 at the Visit Mallorca Estadi.
