This shall be a triumph for Quique Setien to savor, as Villarreal shocked La Liga defending champions Real Madrid with a 2-1 victory on Saturday, reestablishing the repute of a coach who had been absent from the footballing world for 2 years following his ill-fated tenure accountable for Barcelona.
The pulsating Spanish league match at Villarreal’s reworked Estadio de la Ceramica might have ended with extra objectives, particularly for the all-yellow hosts.
Gerard Moreno, who missed the World Cup for Spain as a result of damage, led Villarreal with an help and a aim towards the Spanish and European champions.
Yeremy Pino put Villarreal deservedly forward within the forty seventh minute from a go by Moreno after Ferland Mendy misplaced possession with an errant go. However, a handball by Villarreal’s Juan Foyth allowed Karim Benzema to stage from the penalty spot within the sixtieth momentarily.
But one other handball, this time by Madrid defender David Alaba on a go by Foyth, despatched Moreno to take the winner for Villarreal within the 63rd.
Villarreal, which held Madrid to 5 consecutive attracts at its stadium, took the initiative and compelled Madrid’s defenders into sloppy passing. Francis Coquelin hit the put up within the fifth with an excellent shot with the again of his heel whereas on the flip, slicing the ball from a good angle previous Thibaut Courtois. That strain led to the breakthrough by Pino simply after halftime.
“No doubt, today we played an extraordinary match against an extraordinary team,” Setien stated. “We were better in many aspects, kept the action in their half of the field, and created our scoring chances. In addition, we increased our pressure because we know that if you give them room, they can cause you problems.”
The 40-year-old Pepe Reina began in Villarreal’s aim, hours after the membership introduced it transferred Argentine Geronimo Rulli to Ajax. Reina blocked a shot by Vinicius Junior in Madrid’s finest probability late within the first half.
Setien was thought-about one in every of Spain’s brightest teaching minds earlier than he joined Barcelona in January 2020 for his first job with an elite membership. However, he lasted simply eight months and was let go following Barcelona’s 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich, its worst loss in latest reminiscence.
The 64-year-old supervisor returned to teaching solely in October when he accepted the problem of changing Unai Emery, who left for Aston Villa following his profitable run at Villarreal that included a Europa League title and the Champions League semifinals.
Setien has had a tough begin at Villarreal, drawing in his debut and shedding the subsequent three matches. But the group began to win and performed even higher following the World Cup break. It beat Valencia in a regional derby earlier than taking down Madrid to climb into fifth place within the standings.
Setien, identified for his attacking fashion, tweaked a profitable scheme underneath Emery and located one other method to win. Pino has moved from the proper to the left aspect of the assault, permitting Samuel Chukwueze to play on the proper and supply velocity on each flanks. Alex Baena, having fun with a breakout season, shifted into an inside position, whereas Dani Parejo has moved additional again within the midfield to behave as its main playmaker.
“I always believed,” Setien stated. “Our start was not the best one. There was a shock in the club with a new coach who wanted to change things even though the team was playing well. But I am a man of convictions and knew that this would work out.”
Madrid’s loss allowed Barcelona to regain the only real lead within the competitors on Sunday when it visits Atletico Madrid.
Madrid will pause league performs to compete within the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia together with Barcelona, Real Betis, and Valencia. Once again in Spain, Madrid will face one other journey to Villarreal within the Copa del Rey quarterfinals.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti known as on his protection to play higher.
“We didn’t defend like we wanted to; we left too many spaces between our lines,” Ancelotti stated. “We have to interpret the moments of the game better. Now we have to focus on the Super Cup.”
Madrid’s beginning 11 included no Spanish gamers. According to Opta statistics, this was the primary time Madrid didn’t have a Spaniard on the sector at kickoff in a Spanish league recreation on this century. Other native media stated this was the primary time within the membership’s historical past.
