On 2 January, one of the matches of the 19th round of the Spanish football championship took place. Valencia (Spain) and Villarreal (Spain) met.
Spanish Championship, 19th round
Valencia (Spain) - Villarreal (Spain) - 3:1 (2:0)
Goals: R. Yaremchuk (4), P. Yaremchuk (4), Pepelu (27), Pepelu (57) - Gerard Moreno (73)
Warnings: Bayi (37), Parejo (49), Etienne Capoue (56), Gaia (63), D. Lopez (74). Lopez (74)
Valencia defeat Villarreal in thrilling La Liga match at Estadio de Mestalla Valencia and Villarreal battled it out in a tense La Liga match at the legendary Estadio de Mestalla. The game showed the high energy and skill of both teams, but it was Valencia who won a convincing 3-1 victory. The first half started with Valencia immediately taking control of the game. Already in the 4th minute, striker Roman Yaremchuk scored a stunning goal to put his team ahead. The Ukrainian striker showed his clinical ability with a precise strike that left the Villarreal goalkeeper no chance. "Villarreal" tried to get back on track and made an early substitution in the 17th minute. Raul Albiol was replaced by Eric Bailly in an attempt to strengthen the defensive line. However, their efforts failed when a penalty was awarded against Valencia in the 27th minute.
Midfielder Pepelu calmly converted the penalty to give Valencia a 2-0 lead. Frustration began to creep into Villarreal's game when Eric Bailly received a yellow card in the 37th minute. In the 49th minute, the defender received another yellow card for constant fouls, leaving his team with ten men. Valencia took advantage of Villarreal's numerical advantage and were awarded another penalty in the 57th minute. Pepelu took the lead again and converted the penalty to give his team an unassailable 3-0 lead. As the game progressed, conflicts broke out and several players received yellow cards. Jose Gaya was suspended in the 63rd minute, while Villarreal's Dani Parejo and Etienne Capoue also got into the referee's notebook. Villarreal made two quick substitutions in the 65th minute, bringing on Bruno Brereton Diaz and Francis Coquelin to re-energise the attacking line. Valencia responded with substitutions of their own, with Santi Canos and Daniel Lopez replacing Jasper Guerra and Richard Jaremchuk. In the 73rd minute, Gerard Moreno gave Villarreal a glimmer of hope by scoring a goal from an advantageous position. The goal gave Villarreal a new impetus, but the Valencia defence held firm, maintaining a two goal lead. At the end of the game, both teams made a flurry of substitutions to freshen up their squads. Valencia brought on Antonio Mari and Iago Gasiorowski, while Villarreal brought on Moi Gomez, Manuel Trigueros and Kiko Altimira. Both teams received several yellow cards each in the final minutes of the game. Marcelino and Joel Cuenca were suspended for Villarreal, while Daniel Lopez and Ricard Terrats received warnings for Valencia. After the final whistle, Valencia celebrated a well-deserved 3-1 victory over rivals Villarreal. This match showcased the talent and intensity of La Liga, and fans are looking forward to future encounters between these two teams.
In the next round, the following matches await the rivals: Cadiz - Valencia, Las Palmas - Villarreal.
| Valencia | Villarreal | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Kicks to the goal | 4 |
| 10 | Kicks | 8 |
| 0 | Blocked shots | 1 |
| 7 | Penalty kicks | 6 |
| 3 | Kicks from outside the penalty box | 2 |
| 12 | Offences | 14 |
| 3 | Corner | 3 |
| 1 | Offsides | 4 |
| 45% | Ball possession | 55% |
| 2 | Yellow cards | 4 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 3 | Keeper saves | 4 |
| 408 | Total assists | 502 |
| 337 | Accurate assists | 429 |
| 83% | Accuracy of passes | 85% |