Villarreal sweeps away Espanyol and regains its best form in a match to remember
Villarreal was once again the best version of itself. The Yellow Submarine defeated RCD Espanyol (4-1) in a match marked by the overwhelming dominance of the locals. Thanks to the goals of Mikautadze, Salinas (own goal), Pepe and Moleiro, the team returned to the path of victory and left a strong mark in the close battle for Europe by beating a direct rival so convincingly.
Villarreal received RCD Espanyol in a direct clash for the European places. In La Cerámica, the Submarino aspired to add three points to take advantage of the draw in Osasuna at El Sadar (2-2) and take a big step forward in an increasingly competitive continental race. On the other hand, Marcelino’s men were facing one of the revelations of the LALIGA season, although Espanyol arrived in Vila-real still looking for their first league victory of 2026.
The Submarine started the game with intensity and took control of the ball. In the early stages, Villarreal entered Spanish territory and fired the first warning shots through Buchanan and Mikautadze from outside the area.
Espanyol defended deeply with compact lines, but advanced quickly after each turnover. It was a threat that did not prevent Villarreal from following Marcelino’s plan. In fact, in the 35th minute, Mikautadze delighted the crowd with a sensational goal. The Georgian forward took advantage of some clever play by Buchanan and unleashed an impressive acrobatic shot to make it 1-0.
Before the break, the Submarine extended its advantage by scoring the second of the night. The ball ended up in Espanyol’s Salinas net, but the play had Moleiro’s signature. The Canarian took advantage of a magnificent recovery by Pape Gueye to launch a counterattack and finish with a fantastic ball crossed into the area, which the visiting defender inadvertently deflected.
Villarreal not only dominated the game but also its rhythm. With two decisive blows, they went into the break with a 2-0 lead after a magnificent first half, just a taste of what awaited them 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 inside cut, the Ivorian beat Riedel on the edge of the area, advanced and scored the ball to make it 3-0.
In the 55th minute, another shot from Marcelino’s team, this time from Moleiro, who took advantage of a great pass from Mikautadze and fired at first with a precise shot from the edge of the area. The Canarian made it 4-0 to the joy of the Grogueteños fans, who were enjoying their team on a Monday that seemed like Saturday night.
Villarreal enjoyed possession and continued looking for fifth against an Espanyol overwhelmed by local dominance and the score at La Cerámica.
In the final stretch of the game Alex Freeman entered to make his debut for the Submarine. The talent from the Hugo López Academy also debuted in the First Division.
Before the end, Cabrera closed the gap with a header after a corner kick. With the final score of 4-1, Villarreal got the three points in a direct battle for European qualification.
