Villarreal Secure Victory Over Athletic Club, Pulling Four Points Ahead in Battle for Third Place

Considered a major threat before kick-off, Athletic winger Nico Williams returned to the starting lineup after a spell on the sidelines due to injury.

Villarreal, however, were the first to threaten, with Unai Simon forced to make a brilliant save to deflect Pape Gueye’s long-range effort over the bar in the 11th minute.

Simon could not hold out indefinitely, though, as Villarreal struck in the 26th minute. The visitors launched a counter-attack, with Tani Oluwaseyi delivering a superb cross for left back Sergi Cardona, who elegantly lobbed the ball over Simon for his first goal since August 2024.

With Villarreal boasting an unbeaten record this season after scoring first in LaLiga (W16, D3), the signs pointed favourably for the visitors. Nonetheless, Athletic responded swiftly, with Yuri Berchiche and Mikel Jauregizar both having shots from the edge of the area that narrowly missed their targets.

Yet, the Lions suffered a setback deep into first-half stoppage time when Alfon Gonzalez seized an opportunity, stealing the ball from Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta and racing clear to beat Simon, claiming his first goal since joining on loan from Sevilla in January.

The home side started the second half with urgency, looking to find a way back into the contest, but Simon was called into action once again, saving from Tajon Buchanan at a tight angle.

Despite applying significant pressure, Athletic failed to put Luiz Junior under serious duress, while Villarreal were content to counter-attack. Gonzalez had a golden chance to extend his tally just before the hour mark but scuffed his shot wide from 15 yards.

Things nearly went from bad to worse for Ernesto Valverde’s side when an ambitious long-range strike from Georges Mikautadze nearly resulted in an embarrassing third goal, as it sailed just over the bar. However, they managed to claw back a goal six minutes from time when top scorer Gorka Guruzeta netted his 14th of the season with a close-range finish.

Nicolas Pepe had the chance to restore Villarreal’s two-goal advantage, but his late effort was dismissed by VAR due to an offside in the build-up.

Unfortunately for Athletic, they were unable to take advantage of their good fortune, missing the opportunity to close the gap to seventh place, while they now sit with a 15-game streak without a clean sheet in LaLiga.

In contrast, things are looking much brighter for Villarreal in third place, as they have all but secured a UEFA Champions League spot for next season, despite this being only their second triumph in the past eight LaLiga away fixtures (D2, L4).