New victory for the yellow submarine! Chronicle of Villarreal 2-1 Elche

DAVID DíAZ
Fantasy LaLiga expert
1 DAY AGO / 3 min read

Before the match, the game between Villarreal CF and Elche CF was seen as a duel in which Villarreal was the favorite. The yellow team was playing at home and was expected to dominate possession and the pace of the game. On the other hand, Elche came with a more defensive approach, aiming to stay organized at the back and take advantage of counterattacks or set pieces to try to surprise.

New victory for the yellow submarine! Chronicle of Villarreal 2-1 Elche

FIRST HALF

Before the match began, La Cerámica applauded their player Mikautadze for being chosen as the LaLiga player of the month for February.

The game hadnt even reached the first minute when Sarabias team had the first chance of the match. Álvaro tried from outside the area with a powerful shot, although not very well placed, so the Brazilian goalkeeper caught it safely without complications. After that action, the difference in strategy between the two teams was clear. Villarreal was betting on waiting for the opponent and counterattacking, while Elche prioritized ball possession, looking to the wings to send crosses that their forwards could finish.

However, in the 25th minute one of the best individual plays of the match was witnessed. Villarreals Georgian player made a great move from the left, first beating the full-back, and then inside the box, feinting four times before his shot was blocked by Dituro, thereby avoiding one of the best goals of the day. Still, the yellow submarine did not forgive in the next play. After a great pass from Gueye, Canadian Buchanan controlled the ball and, inside the area, sent a powerful shot to the near post that went in top corner to make it 1-0.

Minutes later, the hosts had the opportunity to extend the lead when Nicolás Pépé delicately lifted the ball and instead of passing to a teammate in the area, decided to finish himself, although his shot went slightly wide. Nevertheless, in the next play they did not miss and scored 2-0. After a poorly resolved defensive action by Elche, Uruguayan full-back Mouriño made a one-two with his teammate Comesaña, the midfielder returned the pass leaving him alone, and the full-back finished with great precision.

SECOND HALF

The second half started with the same dynamics. A Villarreal more committed to attack looked to extend their lead, while Elche dropped back with a five-man defensive line to avoid the third yellow submarine goal and bet on counterattacks.

In the early minutes, Marcelinos team kept showing offensive intent and were close to a third goal when full-back Sergi Cardona sent a great cut-back pass to Mikautadze, who tried to poke the ball in, but central defender Affrengruber, well positioned, managed to deflect the shot.

In the 70th minute, central defender Víctor Chust tried his luck from the edge of the box with a quality shot that forced the Brazilian goalkeeper to intervene brilliantly to send the ball out for a corner. Shortly after, Portuguese forward André Da Silva, who had come on for Rafa Mir, took advantage of a mistake from Villarreals buildup and connected a header, although Luiz Junior caught the ball again in two attempts.

However, in the 82nd minute, following a corner from the left taken by Martim Neto to the near post, the Portuguese forward, who had already had another chance earlier, did not miss and cut the deficit for his team. With this goal, Elche scored their first headed goal of the entire season.

Finally, Marcelos team managed to take the victory, thereby matching Atlético de Madrid on points in the standings. Meanwhile, Elche remained outside the relegation zone but need to regain the rhythm they had at the start of the season because things could get very complicated for them.

GOALS

(1-0): Buchanan (min. 31')

(2-0): Mouriño (min. 41')

(2-1): André Da Silva (min. 82')

TECHNICAL SHEET

Competition: La Liga EA Sports - (Matchday 27)

Date: Sunday, March 8, 2026

Stadium: La Cerámica

Referee: García Verdura

LINEUPS

Villarreal: (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Luiz Júnior

Defenders: Santiago Mouriño, Pau Navarro (for Renato Veiga at 75'), Rafa Marín and Sergi Cardona

Midfielders: Buchanan (for Alfon at 64'), Pape Gueye (for Thomas Partey at 75'), Comesaña (for Parejo at 75') and Alberto Moleiro (for Gerard Moreno at 64')

Forwards: Mikautadze and Nicolás Pépé

Coach: Marcelino

Elche CF: (3-5-2)

Goalkeeper: Dituro

Defenders: Chust, David Affrengruber and Pétrot

Midfielders: Febas (for Gonzalo Villar at 68'), Marc Aguado (for Redondo at 68'), Diangana (for Martim Neto at 59'), Germán Valera and Buba Sangaré (for Josan at 68')

Forwards: Rafa Mir (for André Da Silva at 76') and Álvaro Rodríguez

Coach: Eder Sarabia