LaLiga: Villarreal Keeps Champions League Hopes Alive with 1-0 Win

Villarreal beats Espanyol 1-0 thanks to Yeremy Pino's goal, keeping their Champions League hopes alive. Get the highlights.

Villarreal moved into LaLiga’s fifth and final UEFA Champions League qualification spot with a 1-0 victory over RCD Espanyol at the Estadio de la Ceramica, racking up their fifth straight victory over the Catalan outfit.

On paper, this was a golden opportunity for Villarreal to use their game in hand over their main rivals for Europe's top table, Real Betis.

The opening 45 minutes remained goalless despite Villarreal's intent, with technology playing a crucial role.

A penalty appeal was denied after VAR intervention when Juan Foyth was fouled by Joan Garcia, and Villarreal continued to press for a breakthrough.

Just after the half-hour mark, Thierno Barry seemed to have scored, but the goal was disallowed due to offside.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 52nd minute when Yeremy Pino scored his third goal of the season, capitalizing on static defending from Espanyol. Santi Comesaña found Nicolas Pepe, who delivered a slick pass to Pino, who side-footed the ball past goalkeeper Joan Garcia.

The goal also marked his first goalscoring appearance in meetings with Espanyol since February 2022. That goal had been the first of four for him in a 5-1 rout, but after a disallowed Villarreal goal, Espanyol refused to collapse as they did back then and rallied beyond the hour mark.

They duly created two good chances to equalise, both of which fell to Javi Puado, who firstly forced a save from Luiz Junior on the half volley, before hitting the side netting with an attempted finish at the far post from a long cross.

Villarreal should have finished the match as a contest 10 minutes from time, when another break forward caught the Espanyol defence out yet again.

FT: #VillarrealEspanyol 1-0@VillarrealCFen secure a crucial victory at the Cerámica! 👏#LALIGAEASPORTS pic.twitter.com/JGgXHNJ8s8

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) April 27, 2025

A combination of Barry and Pepe found Tajon Buchanan inside the box, but he side-footed agonisingly wide of the bottom-left corner with a first-time shot despite being unmarked.

However, Espanyol lacked the firepower to punish that, duly seeing their unbeaten league run ended at five games. Meanwhile, Villarreal’s Champions League fate is now back in their own hands with five LaLiga rounds remaining.