Villarreal sweep aside Espanyol and rediscover their best form in a match to remember
Villarreal were back to being the very best version of themselves. The Yellow Submarine thrashed RCD Espanyol (4-1) in a match defined by the hosts’ overwhelming dominance. Thanks to goals from Mikautadze, Salinas (own goal), Pepe and Moleiro, the team returned to winning ways and made a strong statement in the tightly contested battle for Europe by beating a direct rival so convincingly.
Villarreal hosted RCD Espanyol in a direct clash for European places. At La Cerámica, the Submarine were aiming to take all three points to build on the draw at Osasuna in El Sadar (2-2) and take a major step forward in an increasingly competitive continental race. On the other side, Marcelino’s men were facing one of the revelations of the LALIGA season, although Espanyol arrived in Vila-real still searching for their first league win of 2026.
The Submarine started the match with intensity and took control of the ball. In the opening stages, Villarreal pushed into Espanyol territory and fired the first warning shots through Buchanan and Mikautadze from outside the box.
Espanyol defended deep with compact lines, but broke forward quickly after each turnover. It was a threat that didn’t stop Villarreal from sticking to Marcelino’s plan. In fact, in the 35th minute, Mikautadze delighted the crowd with a sensational goal. The Georgian striker latched onto a clever lay-off from Buchanan and unleashed a stunning acrobatic strike to make it 1-0.
Before the break, the Submarine extended their lead by scoring their second of the night. The ball ended up in the net off Espanyol’s Salinas, but the move had Moleiro’s signature all over it. The Canary Islander took advantage of a superb recovery from Pape Gueye to launch a counter-attack and finish it with a fantastic ball across the box, which the visiting defender inadvertently turned in.
Villarreal not only dominated the game but also its tempo. With two decisive blows, they went into the break 2-0 up after a superb first half—just a taste of what awaited after the restart.
The best was yet to come. In the second half, Pepe needed just five minutes to score another spectacular goal. With a brilliant cut inside, the Ivorian skipped past Riedel on the edge of the box, drove forward and slotted the ball home to make it 3-0.
In the 55th minute, another strike from Marcelino’s side—this time from Moleiro, who latched onto a great pass from Mikautadze and fired home first time with a precise finish from the edge of the area. The Canary Islander made it 4-0 to the delight of the groguet faithful, who were enjoying their team on a Monday that felt like a Saturday night.
Villarreal were enjoying themselves in possession and continued to search for the fifth against an Espanyol side overwhelmed by the hosts’ dominance and the scoreline at La Cerámica.
In the final stretch of the match, Alex Freeman came on to make his debut for the Submarine. Academy talent Hugo López also made his First Division debut.
Before the end, Cabrera pulled one back with a header from a corner. With the final 4-1 scoreline, Villarreal claimed all three points in a direct battle for European qualification.
