Villarreal beat RC Deportivo de La Coruña and win their ticket to Europe for the fifth consecutive season
What a game of football! Villarreal played to their best at the Riazor stadium to beat RC Deportivo de La Coruña and guarantee, at least, sixth place in the league and UEFA Europa League football for next season, for the fifth consecutive year. Goals by Samu Castillejo (2), Manu Trigueros and Denis Cheryshev gave the Yellow Submarine the crucial victory, not to mention the magician that is Pablo Fornals providing two assists, which takes him to 12 for the season joint with Messi as the players with the highest number of assists in LaLiga.
A stunning start. Villarreal dictated the tempo in the opening minutes, dominating possession and pinning Deportivo back into their half. Thus the Submarine’s opener came very early on. Fantastic individual skill by Samu Castillejo was all it took. The Yellow number 10 got away from Luisinho on the edge of the box and sent a curling strike into the far top corner of Rubén’s goal (0-1). The match started firmly in Villarreal’s favour.
Not long after, Sergio Asenjo was called into action to make a great stop at the other end. The Villarreal goalkeeper saved the Submarine with quick reflexes to keep out a header by Borja Valle at the back post.
After the first quarter of an hour of play, the match began to open up and it was end to end stuff at the Riazor. Both teams hunting down their opponents’ goal in earnest. Asenjo made another fine save to keep out Lucas’ volley and keep the Yellows in the lead and right after, Fornals tried his luck from long range but Rubén was equal to it.
