Rayo: Cobeño; Tito (Mojica 46’), Gálvez, Rodri, Nacho; Trashorras, Saúl Ñíguez; Lass, Adrián González (Nery Castillo 46’), Jonathan Viera; Alberto Bueno (Adri Embarba 65’). 4-2-3-1.
Villarreal: Sergio Asenjo, Mario, Musacchio, Dorado (Pantic 55‘), Jaume Costa; Hernán Pérez (Javier Aquino 46’), Tomás Pina, Manu Trigueros, Moi Gómez (Bruno 71’); Uche, Perbet. 4-4-2.
Goals:
0-1. 10. Uche. Connected with wayward Perbet shot to steer ball past Cobeño.
0-2. 12. Perbet. Got in front of marker to turn Moi Gómez cross wide of keeper.
0-3. 41. Perbet. Turned ball in from close up after Moi Gómez crossed from left.
0-4. 57. Uche. Turned ball in on far post after Javi Aquino passed across goal.
0-5. 64. Uche. Rolled ball back in to net after Cobeño pushed out Manu free kick.
1-5. 66. Castillo. Ran on to Jonathan Viera pass and turned shot past Asenjo.
2-5. 91. Castillo (penalty). After Uche caught Trashorras with a high kick in area.
Yellow cards: Trashorras 34’, Rodri 44’, Mojica 48’, Perbet 74’, Tomás Pina 78’, Uche 90’.
An incredible match to round off the first weekend of the year, Villarreal beating Rayo Vallecano 2-5 on Monday night to move back up to sixth in the table. The result could easily have been the other way round though, the locals wasting a hatful of chances and the visitors scoring virtually every time they approached goal. Asenjo had to push an early Gálvez free kick on to the bar, but with ten minutes gone Uche got on the end of a wayward Perbet shot to open the scoring, and two minutes later Perbet made it two after Moi Gómez crossed in from the left wing. Asenjo had to be at his best to keep out Saúl Ñíguez and Lass, Jonathan Viera fired a shot against the post, and Viera and Gálvez both went close. However immediately after Musacchio blocked a shot by Saúl, Perbet shot just wide on the resulting counter-attack, and a couple of minutes later Perbet got his second of the night in a carbon copy of his first goal. Paco Jémez made two attacking changes at the break, but although Castillo tested Asenjo again, Uche got on the end of Aquino’s cross to make it four. Gálvez had a strike ruled out for a borderline offside, but once again Villarreal struck, Uche completing the easiest of hat-tricks after Cobeño could only push out a long Trigueros free kick. Castillo did get two back after that, the first from a Viera assist, and the second a last minute penalty after Uche fouled Trashorras in the area, but it was too late to prevent another defeat which leaves them still in next to bottom spot.
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