The Yellow Submarine triumphed over the Bermellones in a thrilling encounter on Saturday, corresponding to matchday 13 of La Liga. The first half kicked off with Villarreal taking an early lead in the 5th minute following a decisive play. However, Mallorca quickly responded with a goal from Samu Costa just two minutes later, leveling the score at 1-1.
As the second half progressed, it was Tani Oluwaseyi who emerged as the hero for Villarreal, finding the back of the net with a powerful strike in the 82nd minute, sealing the final score at 2-1.
Samu Costa’s performance uplifted the spirits of Mallorca fans as he scored in the 7th minute, receiving a well-placed cross from Pablo Torre and firing a strong shot from the edge of the box.
Oluwaseyi was undoubtedly the standout player of the match, contributing significantly with his goal and completing 3 successful passes.
Gerard Moreno also made his mark in the game, netting a goal while attempting 2 shots on goal and completing an impressive 14 passes.
Villarreal’s manager, Marcelino García Toral, deployed a 4-4-2 formation, with Luiz Júnior in goal, protected by Pau Navarro, Rafa Marín, Renato Veiga, and Alfonso Pedraza in defense. The midfield saw Nicolas Pépé, Santi Comesaña, Thomas Partey, and Alberto Moleiro, while Gerard Moreno and Ayoze Pérez led the attack.
In contrast, Mallorca’s coach, Jagoba Arrasate, opted for a 4-5-1 setup, featuring Lucas Bergström between the sticks, and a defensive line of Pablo Maffeo, Martin Valjent, Antonio Raíllo, and Johan Mojica. Their midfield included Omar Mascarell, Samu Costa, Antonio Sánchez, Pablo Torre, and Jan Virgili, with Mateo Joseph upfront.
The match, officiated by José Guzmán Mansilla at Estadio de la Cerámica, witnessed some cautionary notes with players from both teams earning yellow cards.
Looking ahead, Villarreal will face a challenging away game against Real Sociedad, while Mallorca will host Osasuna in their next fixture.
With this result, the hosts have amassed 29 points, positioning themselves third in the standings, whereas Mallorca remains with 12 points, sitting sixteenth.
Substitutions for Villarreal
62’ 2T – Gerard Moreno off for Georges Mikautadze, Ayoze Pérez off for Tani Oluwaseyi, Thomas Partey off for Pape Gueye
73’ 2T – Alberto Moleiro off for Manor Solomon, Jan Virgili off for Vedat Muriqi
79’ 2T – Rafa Marín off for Tajon Buchanan
Yellow Cards for Villarreal
40’ 1T – Marcelino (Insulting or disapproving towards the referee), 43’ 2T – Luiz Júnior (Delaying the game), 51’ 2T – Tajon Buchanan (Unsporting behavior)
Substitutions for Mallorca
68’ 2T – Pablo Torre off for Sergi Darder
85’ 2T – Antonio Sánchez off for Takuma Asano, Mateo Joseph off for Manu Morlanes, Omar Mascarell off for Javier Llabrés
Yellow Cards for Mallorca
21’ 2T – Lucas Bergström (Delaying the game), 29’ 2T – Johan Mojica (Insulting or disapproving towards the referee)