Villarreal tombs Real Madrid after a fast-paced game

Real Madrid dreamed of getting on the plane to Saudi Arabia, venue of the Spanish Super Cup next week, as the new leader of the Santander League, but Quique Setién's Villarreal woke them up with a display of intensity on a hectic afternoon of football.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
07 January 2023 Saturday 16:34
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Villarreal tombs Real Madrid after a fast-paced game

Real Madrid dreamed of getting on the plane to Saudi Arabia, venue of the Spanish Super Cup next week, as the new leader of the Santander League, but Quique Setién's Villarreal woke them up with a display of intensity on a hectic afternoon of football. Barça will continue to lead whatever they do this Sunday at the Metropolitano.

This Saturday the revamped La Cerámica stadium vibrated like never before, while the white team suffered, without Spaniards in the eleven for the first time in its history, which yielded on the scoreboard and also on points against a rival that already has six wins consecutive officers. Setién's hand begins to have its effect, capable of ending a streak of five consecutive draws for Villarreal against Madrid at home.

With more or less success, the Cantabrian coach has always tried to make his teams recognizable and I believe he did it against Real Madrid. The exhausting pressure that he exerted before the Madrid ball came out caused the first headaches on the white side, where Rüdiger was somewhat confused. Right from the start, Álex Baena and Gerard Moreno took command of the operations and made the stands vibrate. Coquelin ran into the post after a beautiful spur shot. There was no truce in the green. He tried to advance the Madrid lines to stop the yellow gale but Reina's recital with his feet frustrated all his attempts. Villarreal risked a lot in getting the ball out, another hallmark of Setién, and it worked out wonderfully. This time it was Yeremy Pino who failed alone against Courtois after another great pass from Moreno.

The whites suffered, unable to decipher the defense of the Submarine. The duel between Foyth and Vinícius was beautiful but they were not blanks. Militão did have a clear one but he made a mistake in the shot. Already by then, the enormous figure of Albiol threatened to embitter his former team, always finding the right moment to go to court. Reina frustrated Vinícius on the last great occasion before the break.

It had been 45 minutes of authentic vertigo but if anyone thought that the revolutions were going to drop after the break, they were most wrong. Everything precipitated in the second act, which began with the goal by Yeremy Pino after a great assignment, another, by Gerard Moreno.

The yellow euphoria did not last long because Real Madrid did not take long to find the equalizer in their first arrival after leaving the locker room. Benzema scored it from a penalty after the VAR called up Soto Grado for some ridiculous hands from Foyth that force a thorough review of the regulations.

Far from sinking, Villarreal got up and went ahead again on the next play. It was forbidden to blink. It was also a penalty, although this time the referee himself pointed it out after other hands, this time by Alaba. Gerard Moreno culminated his spectacular afternoon by deceiving Courtois and signing the 2-1 that would be final.

With half an hour of play to go, Villarreal had before them a major challenge against a Madrid that put all their gunpowder on the line. It was precisely Rodrygo who had the best option to tie, but he failed to take advantage of Reina's only oversight all afternoon. With Madrid upended, the yellow defense was an impeccable exercise to contain their rival. Danjuma's bad decisions extended the uncertainty until the final whistle of Soto Grado. Madrid's second league defeat this season was a fact. He had slipped in vertigo.

2 - Villarreal: Reina, Foyth, Albiol, Pau Torres, Alberto Brown (72), Coquelin (88), Parejo, Baena, Gerard Moreno (88), Chukwueze and Yeremy Pino (Morals, m.80).

1 - Real Madrid: Courtois, Rudiger, Militao, Alabama, Mendy (Rodrygo, 65), Tchouameni (Lucas Vazquez, 65), Modric (Camavinga, 70), Kroos, Valverde (Asensio, 82). ), Benzema and Vinicius.

Goals: 1-0, m.47: Yeremi Pino. 1-1, m.60: Benzema, penalty. 2-1, m.63: Gerard Moreno, penalty.

Referee: Soto Grado (La Rioja Committee). He showed a yellow card to the locals Pau Torres, Albiol, Baena and Reina, and to the visitor Camavinga.

Incidents: match of the sixteenth day of LaLiga Santander played at the Estadio de la Cerámica before 21,088 spectators.