In the blurriest depiction, Villarreal could not prevail over Maccabi Haifa. The top spot in the group would be settled on Rennes’ pitch the following day, with a Villarreal victory necessary to avoid elimination and secure direct qualification to the Europa League last 16.
Marcelino’s squad showed rotation and dipped in intensity, tempo, and accuracy compared with previous showings. As a result, they offered little danger to an opponent who grew bolder in the second half and seized the best chances to swing the result in their favor.
Villarreal began on the front foot, maintaining territorial supremacy as their opponents appeared slow to respond. Early control produced several forays into the final third, though most of these forays stayed harmless, save for Comesaña’s header from a corner that skimmed wide.
Maccabi Haifa capitalized on moments of imprecision, breaking away and stretching the play, yet the true danger for Villarreal did not stem from their own attacking runs but from moments of misfortune in the chains of possession, particularly Reina’s miscue when distributing the ball.
A goal was chalked off for offside by Brereton’s assistant, Álex Baena, and Villarreal found balance through Ilias Akhomach’s mixture of dribbles and precise passes, which helped steady the contest.
Villarreal looked surprised by the compact tempo Haifa set in the middle of the pitch and generated almost nothing in the way of meaningful chances. The half drifted toward its end with only a couple of long-range efforts from Trigueros and Akhomach and a speculative strike from Brereton, followed by a strong solo move that signaled a near stoppage in time.
After the break, Morales, a recognized option up front, entered the game to replace Baena, who left the field with a lingering illness after the first half. The opening move of the second period belonged to Haifa, sparked by a mispass from Reina that briefly unsettled the home defense and could have been exploited by Pierrot, who had just joined the action from Altimira.
Villarreal’s approach remained slow and predictable, with Akhomach again providing the brightest moments through individual brilliance. A potential center redirected harmlessly into the hands of Haifa’s goalkeeper when a shot was directed too centrally.
Pedraza, Coquelin, and the reentry of Gerard Moreno added a clearer sense of Villarreal’s intent. The visitors finally began to resemble a team capable of controlling play and pushing Haifa into their own half, even if decisive chances remained scarce.
With about 20 minutes left, Pierrot faced a golden opportunity to convert a cross from the right but could not get a clean header on target in a crowded six-yard box.
Moments later, David found the net for Haifa with a diagonal finish after a rebound fell unfavorably for Villarreal in their box, briefly tipping the balance in favor of the visitors.
Villarreal pressed late, trying to reclaim the edge and create a finishing sequence. Coquelin added a late attempt that forced a save from the Haifa goalkeeper, yet the Israeli side remained dangerous on counter-attacks. In stoppage time, a Kandil shot forced a decisive save from Reina, preserving Haifa’s slender hopes of leading the group.
Data sheet:
Villarreal: Reina; Foyth (Pedraza, min. 56), Gabbia, Cuenca, Altimira; Akhomach, Comesaña (Coquelin, min. 56), Capoue, Trigueros (Jorge Pascual, min. 83); Baena (Morales, min. 46) and Brereton Díaz (Gerard Moreno, min. 65).
Maccabi Haifa: Keouf; Sundgren (Feingold, min. 60), Gershon, Simic, Kandil; Hagag (Podgoreanu, min. 60), Show (Naor, min. 77), Mohamed (Jaber, min. 42); Khalaili (Pierrot, min. 46), David, Rafaelov.
Referee: Nicholas Wals (Scotland). He issued yellow cards to Capoue, Foyth, and Pedraza for Villarreal, and to Refaelov and Naor for Maccabi Haifa.
Events: The match coincided with the Europa League group stage’s third day and was moved due to the conflict between Israel and Palestine. It was played at La Cerámica Stadium in Villarreal before 9,365 spectators, all season-ticket holders for Villarreal. For security reasons, Israeli supporters were not admitted and tickets were not sold at the box office. [citation]