VILA-REAL. Villarreal kicked off their Copa del Rey campaign in style, demonstrating their serious intentions in the knockout competition. With a flawless first half, Marcelino García Toral’s side enjoyed a comfortable evening at the Nou Estadi de Sa Pobla, finishing with a resounding 6-1 victory. Ramon Terrats, contributing with a goal and two assists, and Ayoze Pérez, who netted a hat-trick alongside two assists, were the standout performers as the Yellow Submarine showcased two contrasting halves.
The positive face of Villarreal was evident in the first half, where Marcelino successfully instilled his hunger in the players. The groguets took the lead as early as the 10th minute, leaving Poblense chasing shadows, forced to defend against their opposition’s quality and unable to harbor any hopes of pulling off an upset.
In the second 45 minutes, Villarreal eased off the gas after scoring their sixth goal, allowing the home side to take the initiative and even grab a consolation goal. Nonetheless, the team from La Plana Baixa fulfilled their duty and await their next opponent in a tournament where they have high hopes this season.
When Marcelino makes a promise in a press conference, he usually delivers, and the tie against Poblense was no exception. The Yellow Submarine’s manager announced his serious approach to the match and indeed fielded nine first-team players, including renowned names like Dani Parejo, Yeremy Pino, and Ayoze Pérez. Pau Navarro and Pau Cabanes, who scored his first goal, were the youth players rewarded with starting positions.
There was also room for less regulars, such as Willy Kambwala, Juan Bernat, and a Ramon Terrats who contributed to the two initial goals of the comfortable win. Just ten minutes into the match, the Barcelona-born player opened the scoring, finishing off a ‘pass of death’ from Yeremy Pino, and before the first half an hour, he assisted Ayoze, who was almost stationary in front of goalkeeper Sabater.
Despite Mallorca’s resistance to being dominated by LaLiga’s third-placed team, the quality of the groguets allowed them to enjoy increasingly comfortable possessions. The Nou Camp de Sa Pobla’s slightly uneven pitch permitted the Submarine to weave intricate plays against a well-organized Mallorca side that defended compactly with a five-man backline.
Three more goals followed before the interval. Ayoze Pérez netted the third and fifth goals, showcasing his knack for scoring in the Copa. In between, Pau Cabanes made his mark by cutting past Pep Vidal and firing a precise shot for his first goal with the senior team.
With the match and the tie thoroughly decided, Marcelino substituted Logan Costa to allow Jean Ives Valou to debut at left-back. Poblense, spurred on by their coach Óscar Troya, emerged from the break determined to stem the defensive bleeding and score at least a consolation goal to please their fans.
They came close through Alberto Fernández, but Luiz Júnior made a superb save in his first intervention as Villarreal’s goalkeeper. The Brazilian made several saves but couldn’t keep a clean sheet due to a mistake from Dani Parejo, who had orchestrated the team’s play up to that point.
Parejo’s mishap allowed Aitor Pons to capitalize and slot past a poorly positioned Luiz Júnior. Late substitutes Ilias Akhomach, Thierno Barry, Santi Comesaña, and Álex Baena were brought on to help close out a match where the groguets relaxed in the final stages due to their commanding lead.
In the final twenty minutes, UD Poblense managed to equalize possession and chances, although they could not reduce the deficit from the final score of 1-6. Nevertheless, Villarreal showcased a very serious first half, overcoming the first round of the Copa del Rey with aspirations of going far in the tournament.
Match Details:
- Poblense: Vicens Shoemaker; Josep Payeras, Cifré (Rigo, min. 60), Joan Salvà, Pep; Miguel Soler, Gori (Alarcón, min. 60); Suasi (El Mkadmi, min. 60), Diego Martínez (Miquel Llabrés, min. 60); Alberto Fernández (Capella, min. 60) and Aitor Pons.
- Villarreal: Luiz Junior; Logan Costa (Valou, min. 46), Pau Navarro, Kambwala, Bernat; Terrats, Pape Gueye (Baena, min. 70), Parejo (Comesaña, min. 70); Yeremy Pino (Ilias, min. 63); Pau Cabanes and Ayoze (Barry, min. 63).
Goals: 0-1, min. 10: Terraces. 0-2, min. 27: Ayoze. 0-3, min. 35: Ayoze. 0-4, min. 38: Cabanes. 0-5, min. 44: Ayoze. 0-6, min. 58: Gueye. 1-6, min. 67: Aitor Pons.
Referee: Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias (Madrid Committee). Cautioned Cifré for Poblense and Valou.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the sixty-fourth round played at Nou Camp de Sa Pobla.
