Villarreal recovered their momentum in the Europa League by overturning a late deficit against Maccabi Haifa after a tense showdown in Larnaca, Cyprus. Álex Baena and Alexander Sorloth were key factors as the Israeli side briefly surged ahead, forcing the hosts to chase parity late in the game.
José Rojo Pacheta’s squad faced a familiar trap, paying for a lapse in defensive focus and a run of missed chances. The team also endured two penalties stopped by the heroic Maccabi Haifa goalkeeper, moments that underscored the visitors’ resilience and the home side’s growing anxiety over the scoreboard.
Seven changes were made by Burgos, aiming to inject energy and reinforce the ranks after the previous match. Villarreal struggled to settle into the rhythm of the game from the outset, with Haifa pressing high and forcing their hosts into hurried decisions.
Brereton Díaz, one of the most enterprising players on the field, tested Keouf early with a sharp shot that the keeper parried. The sequence signaled a turning point: Villarreal began to find pockets of rhythm even as danger persisted at the back.
The match cycled through moments of pressure and alert defense, with Trigueros and Brereton both edging closer to a breakthrough as Haifa defended deeper in their own box yet remained capable of breaking on the counterattack.
The Israeli side exploited gaps as Villarreal pressed forward, turning defending into a quick transition game that kept the pace high and the tension intense.
Pierrot and Cornud probed Reina, who watched Seck poke the visitors into the lead from an offside position, as Villarreal struggled to corral Haifa’s quick transitions. Yet the ball found its way into the net after a set piece moment, leaving the home side with a sense of urgency to answer.
The hosts responded immediately. Brereton Díaz earned a clear penalty, and Sorloth fired with power toward the near post, only for Keouf to produce a spectacular save. The referee ruled the shot must be retaken because the Haifa defense had encroached, heightening the drama around the spot kick.
Manu Trigueros stepped up to take the retake, sending the ball from the opposite side of the goal toward a reaction save from the goalkeeper. The rebound play underscored Villarreal’s need to balance risk with control as the pressure mounted.
The consequences of the second miss rattled Villarreal for a spell, and patience wore thin as chances mounted more on instinct than structure.
Sundgren kept the game alive with an acrobatic save to deny Brereton Díaz, leaving Villarreal pressing for a chipped finish that would settle the score. Moments later, Sorloth found a breakthrough with a precise shot that nearly nestled in at the top corner, leveling the score in dramatic fashion.
As the clock wound down, Haifa pushed forward on the counter, using a series of set pieces to test Villarreal’s resolve. The first half closed with a tense stalemate and a sense of unfinished business for both teams.
The halftime break brought a shift. Villarreal emerged more assertive, creating two quick chances within minutes through Sorloth and Mandi, only to see Keouf snuff them out with timely interventions.
Pacheta’s team grew more in control as the midfield trio dominated the tempo, with Trigueros orchestrating play and the young Jorge Pascual providing an evolving partner for Sorloth in attack. Haifa remained compact, allowing space only for occasional counters that kept Villarreal vigilant in defense.
Maccabi Haifa, though pressured, multiplied their counter threats, especially through Khalaili, who advanced with purpose and delivered a dangerous cross that required careful handling by Villarreal’s defense.
The introduction of Yeremy Pino, Parejo, and Álex Baena tightened Villarreal’s grip on possession and gave the attack greater fluency as the game moved toward the final phase.
Mandi and Jorge Pascual tested Keouf again in the sequence that followed, as Villarreal’s surge threatened to overwhelm the visitors. The Israeli keeper answered with decisive stops that kept the score intact and heightened the sense of an eventual breakthrough for the home side.
Then a decisive link connected Alberto Moreno with Baena, enabling a powerful cross that silenced Haifa’s resistance as the ball found an advancing Villarreal midfielder who finished decisively.
With the scoreline suddenly tilted, Villarreal pressed forward with renewed belief, and Baena struck again to push the hosts ahead. Haifa’s defence, stretched and exposed, could only watch as Seck vacated space for a late corner that briefly intensified the siege on their goal.
Pacheta’s team did not relent, and Sorloth exploited Moreno’s renewed surge to reclaim a touch, meeting a rebound that found its way behind the goalkeeper for a dramatic late turn in Villarreal’s favor.
Exhaustion pressed in from Haifa’s defenders as the stoppage time approached. The visitors still threatened with organized bursts, but Villarreal’s defensive resolve held firm through a final flurry and a few nerve-wracking moments in the box.
Dean David and Cornud closed in on the draw just as Villarreal looked set to seal victory, yet the late drama failed to materialize in the end. Europe remained a testing ground for both sides, with Villarreal managing to steady their course amid sustained pressure and finish the night on a high note.
— Football on Movistar Plus+ (Movistar Futbol) reported live coverage of the match on November 9, 2023. The post-match highlights emphasized Villarreal’s resilience and their late comeback in the competition, signaling a strong resolve from the coach and players alike.
The result provided a boost for Villarreal, who capitalized on a late goal to complete what looked like a fragile comeback. Baena’s late winner sealed the night, as Seck’s earlier clearance attempts and Haifa’s defending could not withstand the hosts’ intensified pressure. Sorloth’s continued influence, combined with the sense of purpose from Pacheta’s changes, left Villarreal buoyant as they approached the rest of the European campaign. The game underscored the volatility and excitement of knockout-style football, where a single moment can redefine an entire tie and set the tone for the next meeting in the series.
In the final analysis, Villarreal emerged with three valuable points, their performance illustrating a blend of stubborn defense and relentless forward intent. Haifa left with respect earned, aware that their counter-attacking approach will demand further refinement as the competition progresses.