Pépé to the Rescue! Match Report and Technical Sheet of Alavés 1-1 Villarreal

PABLO REYES
Fantasy LaLiga expert
2 HOURS AGO / 3 min read

Deportivo Alavés arrived at this match after a rather poor run of results: six games without a victory and barely two points. The last match was a harsh blow for the Babazorro team, as Valencia took all three points with a stoppage-time penalty in a game they had controlled. On the other side, Villarreal, consolidated in Champions League spots, came with a run of four wins in the last five matches. Mendizorroza is not historically a ground where Marcelino's team has done well: Villarreal hasnt won as a visitor in Álava since 2020.

Pépé to the Rescue! Match Report and Technical Sheet of Alavés 1-1 Villarreal

FIRST HALF

The first quarter of an hour stood out for imprecisions by both teams, especially Alavés. Unable to connect with the midfielders, the home side had problems making progress. Villarreal's pressure and intensity also caused these errors. Nevertheless, the arrivals down the wings by the full-backs and forwards generated some sense of danger through crosses from wide areas.

Minutes passed and clear chances did not arrive. A corner by Villarreal went past the near post without further consequence. Toni Martínez also tried from outside the area, without luck. Both teams struggled to establish their play and create attacking moves. The Yellow Submarine lacked ideas in the final third.

After a Villarreal counterattack, Lucas Boyé had to trip Pedraza, thus taking the first yellow card. And in the 40th minute, Alavés finally broke the deadlock. Pablo Ibáñez put in a low cross that was deflected. Lucas Boyé caught the rebound, flicked it with a backheel, and due to the intensity of the touch, the ball went in after hitting Rafa Marín. Villarreal enjoyed a last triple chance, but Sivera reacted. Thus, the home side went into halftime with a minimal advantage.

SECOND HALF

The dynamic in the second half did not change. A Villarreal lacking ideas and fluidity and an Alavés that, thanks to the late first-half goal, controlled the ball and the tempo of the match. Marcelino would soon make changes seeking solutions. At the 64th minute the match was stopped as objects were thrown at the linesman from the stands, though it did not escalate.

In the 74th minute Pépé came close to equalizing. A good play down the wing ended with a shot that went close to the left top corner. Quique Sánchez Flores decided to bring on the Finn Koski, who made his official debut for the Babazorro club. His debut could have been disastrous, as he nearly scored an own goal heading a ball in the small area that hit the post.

During the final moments, Villarreal pushed looking for the equalizer, forcing Alavés to defend their area as the main objective. And indeed, the visitors earned their reward. In the 90+7th minute Pépé received a cross at the edge of the area. He controlled it and nailed the ball into the left top corner, very similar to a previous play but this time no one could stop it. Thus, Alavés dropped two points that could be crucial.