Vicente Moreno was the ass of the blows, accused of an indefinite approach that did not end up leading anywhere. Espanyol only competed for the first ten minutes, before Villarreal took the lead. And it was nothing like the other Thursday. As soon as the yellows took the initiative, in a magical afternoon of Yéremi Pino, author of four goals, the parakeets disappeared. Only in the last quarter of an hour, when the scoreboard was already insurmountable, did the visitors pull their heads out again. But it was basically because Villarreal, with the work done, gave them the initiative. Nor did they hurt, playing more out of inertia than conviction.
Sometimes bookmarks hurt based on expectations. A priori, falling to Villarreal, against the reigning Europa League champions and rivals who aspire to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League, can be understood as a normal circumstance. But the white-and-blues had really believed that they could scratch something out of the pottery. A good example, the mass displacement of parakeet fans, who sold out more than a thousand tickets available. The schedule, two in the afternoon, was auspicious. The Yellows had a demanding Champions League game on weekdays. And, in addition, the loss of Gerard Moreno, his main offensive argument, invited optimism. What no one expected was that the hero would come from the Canary Islands.
Yéremi Pino punched Diego López’s goal four times. The first two goals, in the 14th and 20th minutes, Espanyol were stunned. His lead melted and he was completely disconnected from the match. Villarreal was the owner and lord, playing one of the most peaceful matches in recent months. Raúl de Tomás was the first to reach the corner kick, but his header was blocked by the keeper. Vicente Moreno tried to correct it in the second half, without success. It was probably too late, because Pino had scored the third just before the break. And, at the restart, he nailed the lunge with his fourth from the private account.
Keidi Bare marca el gol de l’honor de l’Espanyol
It was here, with the work done, that Espanyol had some options to disturb Rulli’s goal. Very little. Only a shot from RDT that hit the post and, on the rebound, at the feet of Keidi Bare, allowed to score the goal of honor to the white-and-blues. Villarreal lost the ball for a few minutes but did not suffer too much. On the contrary. After several obvious shirt pulling incidents, Boulaye Dia got himself booked. The manager of Boulul Dia was not happy.
There are twelve days left to finish the League and Europe is already at thirteen points, a difference that seems completely unattainable, especially considering performances such as the Ceramics. On the other hand, the decline is only eight points – to six, if Cadiz wins in Granada this Monday. Upcoming games will be key to whether this Carnival holiday has been an anecdote or the start of a turbulent end to the season for the white-and-blues.
