RCD Espanyol vs. Villarreal CF (09.11.2025)

In an intense La Liga battle on November 9th, 2022, RCD Espanyol edged out a narrow victory over Villarreal CF, thanks to an unfortunate own goal by Villarreal's B. Lecomte. The match, which displayed a mix of aggressive plays and strategic substitutions, ultimately swung in favor of the home team, much to the delight of the Espanyol fans.

The first half of the match progressed with high energy but no goals to show for it. However, tension was palpable as Villarreal's Étienne Capoue received a yellow card in the 38th minute, warning the visitors to tread carefully.

As the second half unfolded, Espanyol made two quick substitutions in the 60th minute, bringing in M. Braithwaite and Vinicius Souza to refresh their lineup and possibly turn the tide of what had been an evenly matched game.

Four minutes later, luck seemed to favor Espanyol when Villarreal's goalkeeper B. Lecomte accidentally scored an own goal, putting Espanyol in the lead. In response, Villarreal made a series of tactical changes starting in the 70th minute, introducing Manu Trigueros and replacing the earlier carded Capoue. They continued reshuffling their squad as A. Danjuma and Kiko Femenía came on in the 77th minute, with hopes of overturning the deficit.

As both teams pressed on, the referees' books continued to fill up. Yéremy Pino of Villarreal was cautioned with a yellow card in the 79th minute, and Espanyol's Nicolás Melamed followed suit with his own yellow card in the 89th minute.

Espanyol made their final strategic changes in the closing stages of the match, introducing Javi Puado and K. Bare in the 81st minute, followed by Brian Oliván in the 89th minute. In stoppage time, Villarreal's Raúl Albiol received a yellow card, but by then, Villarreal's hopes of leveling the score were dashed.

The referee's whistle at the full-time mark confirmed Espanyol's slim victory, a significant win that added crucial points to their league standing. Despite a strong effort from Villarreal, it was Espanyol who walked away with the celebrations on a night when a stroke of misfortune decided the game's outcome.

Lineup RCD Espanyol

Lineup Villarreal CF

Substitutes RCD Espanyol

Substitutes Villarreal CF

RCD Espanyol

The full name of this club, Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona, translates to Royal Spanish Sports Club Barcelona. The nicknames are Periquitos, Blanquiazules (white and blue) and Mágico (magical). On the home jerseys, we thus naturally find the white and blue colours, which are projected in wide vertical stripes. The club plays at the RCDE stadium, which is also known as Estadi Cornellà-El Prat. It has a capacity of 40,500 seats and is a modern stadium that opened in 2009.

Villarreal CF

They are called El Submarino Amarillo, meaning the yellow submarine. It will remind you of the famous song Yellow Submarine by the Beatles, after which Villarreal got this nickname. Their main club colour is of course also yellow, with their home jerseys being almost completely yellow. Outdoors, on the other hand, they play in pink or alternative black and red jerseys. They play at the Estadio de la Cerámica, which has a capacity of 29,890 seats.

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