The Submarine came up with the perfect plan

Unai Emery, in true ‘A-Team’ John ‘Hannibal’ Smith style, must have thought at the end of the game that he loves that plans go well. He must have mumbled it because Villarreal, despite the tight score, has given the feeling that everything has gone according to plan to achieve a victory that almost ensures a first goal and keeps him alive in the fight for the positions of Europa League.

The context of the party was necessary to understand its development. Both teams needed to win almost imperiously (Valladolid to leave the relegation zone and Villarreal to return to the Europa League positions) and Emery, perhaps as a result of the skid against Celta or perhaps simply due to a logical management of resources both that day and yesterday, has bet at the beginning by a much more recognizable eleven. In fact, with Chukwueze and Foyth injured, and Mario and Rulli suspended, One thinks that this formation can be very similar to the one that Unai presented in the Gdansk final against United.

It is true that Villarreal did not make a bad start in the game and the most obvious example of this has been two very dangerous arrivals from Pedraza on the left wing. The Cordoba has entered like a hot knife in butter and that has been enough for him to serve a pass of death that Moi has finished excessively crossed with his left foot. It was the best opportunity in the first part of a Villarreal that has also approached in a combination in which Alcácer has lacked the faith to shoot with his left foot. A ‘killer’ like him, if he had enough faith, he would have hit a goal, sure, but this time he preferred to take a back pass that he did not find a finisher. Villarreal need Paco to recover his instinct, if it can be, within two weeks.

Just those two clear arrivals prove that the first part of Villarreal has not been excessively effective in the offensive phase, although it must be clarified that Valladolid risking its life and in its field has also remained in a shot that has lacked some Roque Mesa thread.

This is how the second act has been entered, with a panorama of those in which the classics say that “defenses were imposed.” In fact in the initial phase of that second period, especially on the grogueta part, it has given the feeling at times that the game plan was to mature the clash until Valladolid, as a result of its imperative need, got disordered and left some spaces to take advantage of.

Until Sergio has introduced the first modifications varying his tactical disposition with the entry of Alcaraz and Guardiola, the groguet team has only created danger in an action in which Alcácer, again more assistant than finisher, has stepped on a ball for Pedraza to shoot hard arriving in the race. The ball has not been listed and has been repelled by Roberto in a solvent way.

It was obligatory for one of the two to step forward and he has done so most urgently needed to the point that Asenjo had to avoid the 1-0 in 58 against El-Yamiq in an action in which the local center-back started with faith until he stood alone against the goal from Palencia, who held out long enough to deflect the shot successfully. It has been a key action.

Valladolid began to loosen up and paradoxically it was then that the two Villarreal internationals who have almost guaranteed their presence in the Eurocup have connected. It was Pau who crossed a line while driving and launched a pass to the back of the Valladolid defense that Gerard Moreno managed to perfection to rotate on himself, go to his left and make it 0-1 (67 ‘ ). It was the goal 55 of the Catalan attacker in the league in the Grogueta entity, which allows you to overcome two myths such as Forlán and Rossi. The data speaks for itself.

Faced with a Valladolid sunk in descent already anxious and almost unhinged, Capoue has taken advantage of an error in the local start to arrive from the second row to adjust a shot to the base of the post in 90 ‘(0-2) and sign a victory that ensures virtually seventh place. To follow.