Marcelino's men bounce back with emphatic win as Yellow Submarine sinks Espanyol
Villarreal boss Marcelino praised his side's clinical performance after they put four past Espanyol to end their negative run of results in La Liga.
Villarreal returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over Espanyol, putting their recent poor form firmly in the rearview mirror with a clinical attacking display that left their manager beaming.
Breaking the negative cycle
After a tough run that included away trips to “very complicated grounds” and a home defeat to Real Madrid, Marcelino’s Yellow Submarine rediscovered their scoring touch against the league’s sixth-placed side. The victory extends the gap between the two clubs to a hefty 11 points (plus head-to-head advantage) - a fact not lost on the gaffer.
“We’re very proud to have reached 45 points at this stage of the competition,” Marcelino noted, providing context that two seasons ago, they’d managed just 42 points by matchday 32. Talk about progress, eh?
Complete performance
The hosts wasted no time asserting dominance, creating two clear chances early on before experiencing a brief wobble with some uncomfortable ball losses. However, once they found their rhythm:
- The first goal arrived to settle nerves
- A quick second followed, boosting confidence significantly
- After the break, a “golazo” from a brilliant team move made it three
- A fourth goal from another “extraordinary play” put the result beyond doubt
Only a late set-piece goal from Espanyol prevented a clean sheet - a minor disappointment as it cost Villarreal a chance to move up to third in the table. But as Marcelino put it, this was a “minor evil” compared to conceding at more critical moments in other matches.
Personnel decisions
The victory came despite the absence of star striker Gerard Moreno from the starting lineup. Marcelino revealed this was precautionary due to discomfort the player had experienced during the week. Rather than risk aggravating the issue, Tejon was deployed in his position with Nico moving up front.
Meanwhile, Pepé earned special praise from his manager after building on his strong showing in Pamplona. Described as “active, deep, fast and aggressive in attack,” the player appears to be rediscovering his confidence - something Marcelino sees as crucial for the team’s collective performance.
With this result, Villarreal have shown they remain a proper handful for anyone in La Liga when they’re on their game. Not too shabby for a team that’s been on a bit of a mare recently.