St. Gallen delivered a commanding 6-1 victory over Villarreal in a friendly that carried more questions than answers for the Spanish side. The match unfolded as a training session, yet it offered clear takeaways from the opening whistle.
By the fifth minute, Witzig put the Swiss ahead. Villarreal had barely settled into the game and faced a high-intensity start from their opponents, already feeling the pace. Von Moos struck next, doubling the lead and signaling a rough day for Castellón’s defense even before the half-hour mark. A shot on the post and two goals by the Swiss indicated Villarreal were weighed down by the workload during their recent training block.
As minutes passed, the yellow ball found more rhythm for the Swiss, and the scoreboard widened the gap with a goal by Chukwueze opening Villarreal’s pre-season account. The Castellón defense remained vulnerable, and Geubbels added a third before half-time, sealing a 3-1 advantage for St. Gallen.
To cap the first 45 minutes, Schmidt made it 4-1, underscoring Villarreal’s fragile display in the initial half.
In the second half, Villarreal sent on a different lineup, but the pattern didn’t change. Within three minutes, St. Gallen already pushed the lead past six, continuing their forward momentum and leaving a sense of a one-sided pre-season result.
The pre-season program is meant to yield conclusions, yet the scoreline raised concerns. Too many goals conceded and a fall in performance for a squad that has seen significant departures and limited reinforcement. The coaching staff’s takeaway centers on the need to strengthen specific areas to compete confidently across all competitions.
Tuesday offers another testing ground against Altach, a chance for Quique Setién’s team to demonstrate improvement and recapture credibility in their attacking and defensive organization.
The live recap of St. Gallen vs. Villarreal, friendly match for season 2023: videos, lineups, goals and statistics
Full-time. Villarreal suffered a 6-1 loss to St. Gallen in their first friendly of the pre-season. Quique Setién and the sports director have significant work ahead.
Minute 48. St. Gallen adds a sixth with a goal from Karlen, signaling an outrageous win in the final stretch.
Minute 46. A fifth for the Swiss comes through a superb strike by Gortler.
Villarreal started the second half with a completely different XI, while Setién lined up Reina; Albiol, Mandi, Abraham, Pedraza; Parejo, Denis Suárez, Terrats; Yeremy, Gerard, Morales.
The second half begins.
Rest. St. Gallen led 4-1 in the first half, underscoring the Swiss side’s superiority in the opening 45 minutes of Setién’s first pre-season test with Villarreal.
Minute 41. Schmidt doubles the tally with a fourth for St. Gallen. A harsh tally for Villarreal.
Minute 36. Geubbels strikes again to make it 3-1 on the scoreboard.
Minute 30. Villarreal narrows the deficit through Chukwueze. It is 2-1 for St. Gallen.
11 minutes. Von Moos nets again, the Swiss double their lead and extend the advantage to 2-0, signaling a difficult start for Villarreal.
Minute 5. Gool! St. Gallen takes the lead as Witzig strikes, 1-0 for the Swiss.
So began the pre-season schedule in St. Gallen.
Villarreal players take the field for the warm-up in the Kybun Park in St. Gallen. The first pre-season test of the yellow submarine will start in fifteen minutes
— GOAL Spain attribution
These are the eleven that St. Gallen lined up with
Villarreal’s starting lineup
Source: Goal