LaLiga: Moreno Early Penalty, Pepe Stunner Help Villarreal Edge Celta

Villarreal beat Celta Vigo

Villarreal make it five straight home wins with 2-1 victory vs Celta. Moreno and Pepe score early, Iglesias reply not enough as hosts go 15 clear.

Villarreal edge Celta Vigo to all but secure Champions League spot. Yellow Submarine now 15 points clear of fifth with five games left...

 

Villarreal all but locked up their place in next season’s UEFA Champions League with a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo, making it five straight home victories for the first time in 10 years while condemning the visitors to a fifth consecutive defeat in all competitions.

The game exploded into life inside 30 seconds when referee Alejandro Quintero Gonzalez pointed to the spot after Alberto Moleiro drove into the Celta box and was felled by Yoel Lago. Gerard Moreno dispatched the penalty into the bottom corner to give Villarreal a second-minute lead.

Celta’s response began to build around the 10-minute mark, with Borja Iglesias involved in a goalmouth scramble from one corner before Pablo Duran volleyed over from another. That proved to be the sum of their first-half threat.

The hosts doubled their lead just before the half-hour with only their second effort of the match. Alfonso Pedraza raced onto a long ball down the left and cut it back to the edge of the box, where Moreno dummied for Nicolas Pepe to sweep a first-time finish past Ionut Radu.

Os Celestes finally tested Arnau Tenas at the other end, but he smothered Sergio Carreira’s effort before diving to keep out a cushioned Hugo Alvarez volley from Oscar Mingueza’s whipped cross just before half-time.

 

With only Barcelona and Real Madrid having collected more away points than Celta, and 15 of their 21 road goals coming after the break, the game was far from over.

Alvarez looked to prove that point early in the second half but missed the target from a promising position, before Radu kept Celta in it with a superb double save to deny Georges Mikautadze and Pape Gueye just before the hour.

After nearly putting the game to bed, Gueye handed Claudio Giraldez’s side a lifeline with 20 minutes left, conceding a clumsy penalty on Iglesias. The striker stepped up himself and saw his effort saved by Tenas, but the referee ordered a retake for encroachment.

FINAL #VillarrealCelta 2-1

💛 ¡Victoria del @VillarrealCF por la mínima para sumar tres puntazos más!#DesenlaceLALIGA pic.twitter.com/PXvC7929R6

— LALIGA (@LaLiga) April 26, 2026

Iglesias made no mistake with his second attempt, blasting the penalty into the top corner.

  

Celta almost completed the comeback with 10 minutes to play when Ferran Jutgla headed Iago Aspas’ cross against the post.

El Submarino Amarillo could have avoided a nervy finish had Alfon not caught a volley too cleanly, smashing it straight at Radu. Still, Marcelino’s side held on to move 15 points clear of fifth place with five games left.

Celta missed the chance to climb back into the European places, leaving La Ceramica empty-handed for the fifth straight time.