The submarine defeats a good Almería with Jackson’s 2-1
Draws between Espanyol and Elche (2-2) and in Girona-Osasuna (1-1)
MADRID, 23 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Villarreal defeated Almería (2-1) this Sunday in the 94th minute to dedicate an emotional victory to José Manuel Llaneza, in a day eleven of LaLiga Santander that also left the draws between Espanyol and Elche (2-2) and also between Girona and Osasuna (1-1).
In a very difficult few weeks for the ‘submarine’, football paid them an emotional tribute, with Nicolas Jackson’s goal in the last play at the Ciudad de Valencia, after a perfect back pass from Parejo. The game was vibrant and could have fallen from either side, with great saves by Pacheco and Rulli, but Emery’s men took three points that keep them glued to the European zone. Almería sees the red zone close.
The Andalusian goalkeeper was the first to show off in a quick play by the locals, but the action that was worth the goal was the one that Melero completed shortly after for Almería. Mojica also had it for the yellows and the restart continued with that crazy exchange.
Bilal forgave a one-on-one with Rulli and shortly after Álex Baena made it 1-1. The goal resonated in the stands, even more so with the shirt in memory of Llaneza that the youth squad wore. However, the rule led the referee to get a second yellow card that cost the Villarreal player the expulsion.
The rage for a rule that was not very human led Emery’s team to not notice the man less. The stadium pushed and Villarreal went up, but Almería had a very clear shot from Akieme. Both teams went for the game, Nicolas Jackson scored offside, but in the last match Parejo gave it the perfect chance for an emotional tribute to the late vice president of the yellow club, one of the architects of the team’s success.
In addition, Espanyol and Elche were left with one point each, which does not help them excessively in the lower zone, the ‘parakeets’ within a shot of falling down and the team from Elche, bottom. A distant header from Pere Milla opened the scoring in Cornellà, but Espanyol quickly equalized through Puado, finding the goal before the game.
Diego Martínez’s men did not dare to go up and Elche breathed by avoiding Helibelton Palacios’s red card thanks to VAR, but after the break the dominance gave the locals 2-1. Martin Braithwaite completed the comeback but Gonzalo Verdú appeared to allow Jorge Almirón’s Elche to add up small battles.
Meanwhile, in Montilivi the tension was felt in a Girona that did not start in the season of its return to the First Division, and that had to sweat to keep a point (1-1) against an Osasuna that is still in the upper middle zone. The local team pressed ahead from the start, with the ‘rojillos’ gradually overcoming the trance of Abde’s injury.
Those from Arrasate soon turned the tables and Kike Barja put Osasuna ahead in the 37th minute. Those from Míchel kept their faith thanks to David López’s 1-1 before the break and came back better again, but fatigue and fear of losing were giving more prominence to an Osasuna, forced both to take the point for granted.
