Villarreal moved one step closer to securing a spot in the next Europa League edition this Saturday after a dominant win at La Cerámica against Athletic Club. The match produced a stunning moment when Álex Baena curled in a direct free kick to open the scoring, and Nico Jackson extended the lead with a clinical finish, capitalizing on defensive lapses from the Basque side. The final result, a convincing 5-1, reflected Villarreal’s superior efficiency and tactical discipline throughout the game.
Athletic remained hopeful of Europe, but their defensive mistakes proved costly. They showed a fight and looked capable of matching Villarreal for large portions of the game, yet the decisive moments belonged to the Yellow Submarine, who converted chances with greater frequency and precision. The hosts controlled the tempo and exploited their opportunities, a contrast to Athletic’s struggles in the final third.
The opening stages were defined by a bit of luck, sharp saves, and moments of quality that kept the scoreline interesting. Athletic Williams celebrated a potential breakthrough with a controversial offside decision that VAR later corrected, keeping Villarreal in the drive to push ahead. Parejo’s counter after Del Cerro Grande’s initial intervention added to the tension, while the incident with Inaki Williams saw the score adjusted after a VAR review, preserving the landscape of a tightly contested first half.
The atmosphere at La Cerámica was electric from the start, with Iñaki Williams testing Unai Simón with a clever cross-shot and Pedraza firing a long-range effort that forced the Basque keeper into a sharp save. The game’s pivotal moment arrived when Yeremy Pino faced a powerful close-range header that rang off the crossbar. Then Baena’s direct free kick delivered the breakthrough, a strike so powerful that it skimmed the post and found the net, making it 1-0 in the 24th minute. Reina had already denied a close-range effort from Nico Williams, signaling the afternoon would demand patience and focus from the visitors.
Athletic responded with vigor, firing back through Nico Williams as he pulled off a sharp indoor volley that nearly beat Reina. Yet Villarreal didn’t relent. The Seville-born attacker Jackson then turned Baena’s shot into a second goal for his team, driving the ball into the net after it bounced off the goalkeeper’s parry, handing Villarreal a comfortable cushion. The second goal underscored Villarreal’s clinical edge in front of goal and their willingness to pounce on counter-attacking chances.
Despite the halftime whistle, Athletic pressed in search of a foothold, but it did not materialize. The hallmark moment of the early second half came when a soft defensive lapse allowed Villarreal to strike again, this time from a Jackson-driven opportunity after a sharp Yeremy attempt, pushing the score to 3-1 and leaving Athletic frustrated with their shape and concentration at the back.
Chukwueze, who had shown glimpses of danger throughout, nearly added another for Villarreal, only to be ruled offside as Athletic tried to weather the storm. The visitors did accumulate two yellow cards in quick succession, a sign of the growing frustration as Ernesto Valverde shuffled his pack, bringing Vesga, De Marcos, and Muniain into the action. But the substitute changes failed to turn the tide; instead, a late miscue from Paredes gifted Villarreal a fourth, as an own goal sealed a dominant late-night performance for the home side.
Athletic continued to push for a lifeline through set pieces, and Dani García found the net with a header that briefly gave the visitors hope. Sancet also tested Reina with a strike that nearly caught the keeper off guard, but the frame of the goal and Reina’s alertness kept the score standing. Gerard Moreno, fresh from a recent return to fitness and sharing forward duties with Lo Celso in the closing stages, looked to make an impact but found the offside line a stubborn barrier to his goal, as the clock wound down on a match that Villarreal controlled in every meaningful phase.
The tale concluded with Baena adding a fifth late in extra time, a personal tally that reinforced Villarreal’s superiority on the day. The result left them comfortably nine points clear of their rivals in seventh place with four games remaining and with their European qualification secured for the moment. Athletic, meanwhile, faced a tough road ahead as they fight to keep a European spot, their recent form not enough to keep pace with the leaders of the pack, and their hopes now focused on finishing the campaign strongly and reclaiming a sense of consistency in defense and transition play.