"Gorka Guruzeta then twice worked Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior as Athletic dominated possession across the opening stages. After a tepid first half, substitute Moleiro finally broke the deadlock in the 77th minute with a crisply-taken half-volley. The ball pin-balled around Athletic's box following Sergi Cardona's far-post cross, and a poor clearance made room for Moleiro to bury a driven shot into the near post."
"Villarreal recorded their first LaLiga win over Athletic since May 13, 2023, ending a four-game winless run against the Basque side. Marcelino's side have also kept clean sheets in three of their seven league matches this season - the most of any side in LaLiga so far. Despite limited chances on Saturday, Villarreal were clinical from an expected goals (xG) figure of 1.07, while Athletic managed a higher xG of 1.46 but were let down by a lack of composure in front of goal."
Alberto Moleiro entered as a substitute and scored the only goal to give Villarreal a 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao at the Estadio de la Ceramica. Villarreal stretched their winning run to three matches after earlier victories over Osasuna and Sevilla. Athletic dominated early possession and created chances through Santiago Mourino and Gorka Guruzeta, but failed to convert. Moleiro's 77th-minute half-volley followed Sergi Cardona's far-post cross and a poor clearance. Alejandro Rego struck the bar with a long-range effort as Athletic pushed for an equaliser. Villarreal sit third in LaLiga, with three clean sheets from seven matches, while Athletic lie eighth on ten points.
Read at Soccer News
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