Villarreal lost 2-1 against Fenerbahce in the first game of the Spanish team’s tour of Turkey, in a match with two different sides, with changes in the second affecting the Castellón crowd more.
Quique Setién’s men gave a good image in the first half, with an excellent Gerard Moreno, for a less recognized team, to fall in the second half with many mistakes when leaving the ball. The bad news of the match was the new injury to Alfonso Pedraza.
Both teams signed a good and entertaining first half, where the result of a tie with one goal could have been better for both teams, with several chances to score.
The team from Castellón took control after the first quarter of an hour of alternatives, with Gerard Moreno as the benchmark for attacking play. The striker dropped into the middle of the field to cut off opposing lines. In one of those, his turn and move to join the left winger, Capoue took advantage of appearing in Gerard’s position to score after twenty-four minutes after a wonderful assist from Collado.
The young Quintero managed to extend the visitor’s challenge, but was unable to get past the goalkeeper. They were the best minutes for Villarreal, which were cut short by a penalty, which Dursun converted after half an hour. After that tie, the game opened up, leading to choices for both teams, a goal for the locals disallowed for offside by Dursun.
After some changes in the second half, Villarreal were eager to come out and arrive in the box, with Pedraza and Chukwueze coming out on the wings, and Gerard as the leading reference again. The people from Castellón, pressing above, stole and formed the rival area nearby, but they lacked a punch. The game is more open, leaving more options for both teams, as the locals can take advantage of gaps and errors at the start of the yellows.
The changes in the team of Castellón lost the balance of the team a little after a quarter of an hour more open, which continues to dominate the local team.
The bad news for the yellows came with an injury to Alfonso Pedraza, who went off with muscular discomfort and left the field half an hour after starting the second half.
The match went to the local side with a goal from King, who hooked a beautiful volley inside the area, midway through the second act, to score the 2-1 final.
Data sheet:
2 – Fenerbahce: Cetin (Irfan Can min 55), Kadioglu, Szalai, Gustavo Henrique, Alioski (Lemos min 70); Willian Arao (Mert Akan min 65), Kahveci, Mila Zajc (Yuksek min 65), Lincoln Henrique (King min 55); Dursun and Rossi (Haze min 70)
1 – Villarreal: Reina (Gianni min 70), Dela (Kiko min 46), Albiol (Mandi min 46), Cuenca, Mojica (Pedraza Min 46, Iosifov min 75); Capoue (Trigueros min 46), Parejo (Morlanes min 46), Francis Coquelin (Baena min 46); Gerard Moreno (Jorge Pascual min 61), Quintero (Chukewueze min 46) and Collado.
Goals: 0-1, m.24: Capoue. 1-1, m.30: Serdar. 2-1, m.77: King.
Referee: Erkan Ozdamar (TUR). Yellow card for local Szalai Bruma and for Baena, from Villarreal.
Incident: friendly match played at Ulker Fenerbahce Sükru Saracoglu Stadium, with some in the stands. First game of the Castellón team’s tour in Turkey.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
