Santander, with a stellar performance, had Villarreal on the ropes in the La Liga opener and, with two goals in the first half, in the 21st and 34th minutes, looked determined to get off to a strong start in its return to the top tier of Spanish soccer. The home team exuded tremendous confidence from the very start and showed that they hadn’t returned to the top flight just to fill a spot.
The “Yellow Submarines,” however, were not discouraged by their shaky start and, with tenacity and patience, made a lightning-fast comeback, scoring two goals just before the end of the first half, in the 45th and 45+1st minutes. In a matter of seconds, the complexion of the match changed completely, and Villarreal managed to head into the locker room having tied the game.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Santander came out determined and fully focused and managed to open the scoring in the 21st minute. Martín stepped up to take his team’s penalty kick, made no mistake, and with a flawless shot, put the score at 1-0, giving the home team an early lead.
The home team’s enthusiasm didn’t wane; they continued to press and were rewarded in the 34th minute. Martínez, with a stunning shot from the edge of the box, sent the ball straight into the opponent’s net to make it 2-0. Santander seemed to be in complete control and was just a breath away from a result that would go down in its history.
Villarreal’s response, however, was immediate, and in the 45th minute, they got back into the game. Gay, with a thunderous strike, scored a magical goal to make it 2-1, and in the very next minute, Nicolas Pépé scored yet another spectacular goal. In the 45+1st minute, the Nigerian, with an exceptional individual effort and a superb finish, outplayed everyone and tied the score at 2-2, giving the match a new twist.
No matter how hard both teams tried in the second half, neither was able to find the back of the net again, with the final score remaining 2-2 until the referee’s final whistle. Santander may not have pulled off the big upset, but they showed from the very first match that they can hold their own against any opponent. On the other hand, Villarreal avoided defeat but knows it needs to perform much better going forward.
*photo source: KYPE
