The Yellows side put in a fantastic performance against Zenit and take a massive advantage into the second leg
Finally Russia falls to the feet of Villarreal. And they did it big time. The Yellow Submarine got a brave and convincing victory over FC Zenit (1-3), after putting in a great performance which didn’t let the side from Saint Petersburg. The three goals for the Yellows, from Vicente Iborra, Gerard Moreno and Manu Morlanes, give the Yellows an important advantage in the push to get to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals.
Villarreal head coach Javi Calleja made six changes in from the last league match against Deportivo Alavés. Andrés Fernández, the Yellows usual goalkeeper in the Europa League, returned to the starting XI, as did wing-backs Jaume Costa and Miguelón, midfielder Pablo Fornals and attackers Samu Chukwueze and Gerard Moreno.
The Yellows looked good from the start. They were winning 50/50s, trying to damage Zenit, who were set out solidly in defence. In the eight minute, Villarreal had their first chance of the game. Chukwueze, who was really involved from the right, played it across the goal to Manu Morlanes, who’s shot went wide.
In the 24th minute, Chukwueze took centre stage for the Yellows’ attack once more. After an attack on the right, the Nigerian winger once more brought the ball back, but this time to Fornals, whose low shot forced the Zenit goalkeeper into a save.
Just before the half-hour mark, the Russians had their first chance of the match. They made the most of a defensive misjudgment to get into the Yellows box. Sardour Azmoun went one-on-one with quick Fernández, who forced the Iranian striker into a shot that went just wide.
In the 32nd minute, Iborra gave the Yellows a deserved lead. The midfielder put the Yellow Submarine ahead with a great header from the heart of the area. Chukwueze centred it to the back poss, where Álvaro González flicked it on to the former Leicester City midfielder, who made the most of his height to score the first goal.
Only two minutes later, Zenit were level through Azmoun. The Iranian striker put the ball into the next after a loose piece of play, which saw Fernández make a great save from Artem Dzyuba.
The match went to half-time at 1-1. The second half started similarly to the first, with Yellows dominance. Only five minutes after the break, Moreno made Andréi Lunev make a great save at the near post after Miguelón’s pass. It was a prelude of what was to come.
In the 63rd minute, Villarreal went ahead after a fantastic header from Moreno, who flicked a Fornals cross from the left into the back of the next. The second Yellows goal spurred on Calleja’s side, who weren’t happy with 1-2.
Less than ten minutes later, Morlanes put the icing on the cake, scoring the afternoon’s third goal and his first with Villarreal’s first team. The midfielder, who took the reigns and dominated the midfielder for the Yellows, made the most of a rebound at the edge of the area, to fire home a low right-footed strike, which the goalkeeper couldn’t come out.
The Yellows, with the scoreboard reading 1-3, didn’t lose control of the game, moving the ball from one side of the pitch to the other, stopping FC Zenit from testing Fernández.
Without time for anything else, Villarreal put together a great win away from Zenit, which sees Calleja’s side take a massive step towards their aim of getting to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals.
Lineups:
FC Zenit: Lunev; Smolnikov, Ivanovic, Rakitskyy, Kuzyaev; Mak (Shatov, m. 72), Ozdoev (Zabolotny, m. 88) Barrios, Driussi; Azmoun (Hernani, m. 74), Dzyuba.
Villarreal CF: Andrés Fernández; Miguelón, Álvaro, Funes Mori, Víctor Ruiz, Jaume Costa; Iborra, Morlanes (Cáseres, m. 71), Fornals (Cazorla, m. 77); Chukwueze, Gerard (Bacca, m. 85).
Goals: 0-1. Min. 32: Iborra. 1-1. Min. 34: Azmoun. 1-2. Min. 63: Gerard. 1-3. Min. 70: Morlanes.
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi (Italy): Booked: Barrios, Smolnikov (FC Zenit), Jaume Costa, Miguelón (Villarreal).
Matchday information: Match between FC Zenit and Villarreal CF corresponding to the first leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 at the Saint Petersburg Stadium in front of 51,826 spectators.
