Villarreal CF Edge Past Athletic Club in LaLiga

Athletic Club vs Villarreal CF - late goal secures win for visitors

Villarreal CF secured a 2-1 win over Athletic Club at San Mames Stadium, moving them four points clear in the fight for third place in LaLiga EA Sports.

Ernesto Valverde's men dodged a bullet when Georges Mikautadze's ambitious effort from halfway bounced...

Villarreal secured a thrilling 2-1 win over Athletic Club at San Mames, marking their first league double over the Basque side since 2010/11. The match was part of a retro-themed weekend in LaLiga, and Villarreal's victory moves them four points clear in the fight for third place.

Athletic winger Nico Williams, a key player for the home side, made his first start in over two months after recovering from injury. Despite his presence, Villarreal's Sergi Cardona opened the scoring with a delicate chip over Unai Simon in the 26th minute. Alfon Gonzalez doubled Villarreal's lead just before halftime, capitalizing on a midfield error.

Athletic Club responded in the second half, with Gorka Guruzeta scoring a consolation goal in the 84th minute. However, Villarreal held on to secure the win, showcasing their efficiency and control in a retro-themed match.

Villarreal had the first chance, but Unai Simon had to be on his toes to tip Pape Gueye's 11th-minute shot over the crossbar.

The goalkeeper was beaten after 26 minutes when Villarreal countered and Tani Oluwaseyi crossed for left back Sergi Cardona, who chipped the ball over Simon for his first goal since August 2024.

Villarreal's unbeaten run after opening the scoring in LaLiga this season (W16, D3) looked set to continue, but Athletic Club responded well, with Yuri Berchiche and Mikel Jauregizar both seeing shots deflect narrowly off target.

The Lions were hit with a sucker punch in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time, as Alfon Gonzalez picked the pocket of Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta and raced clear, beating Simon to score his first goal since arriving on loan from Sevilla in January.

Athletic Club came out strong in the second half, pushing for a way back into the game, with Simon making a crucial save to thwart Tajon Buchanan from a tight angle.

The hosts kept the pressure on, but Luiz Junior was largely untested, while Villarreal was content to play on the break. Gonzalez had a chance to double his tally just before the hour mark but lashed wide from 15 yards out.

Ernesto Valverde's men dodged a bullet when Georges Mikautadze's ambitious effort from halfway bounced just over the crossbar, but they breathed a sigh of relief when Gorka Guruzeta scored a crucial goal six minutes from time, crashing home his 14th of the season from close range.

Nicolas Pepe thought he'd restored Villarreal's two-goal lead with a late strike, but VAR intervened, ruling him offside in the build-up.

Athletic Club missed the chance to narrow the four-point gap to seventh place, extending their LaLiga streak without a clean sheet to 15 games.

FT: #AthleticVillarreal 1-2@VillarrealCFen take the win. 💛#LALIGARETRO | #LALIGAEASPORTS pic.twitter.com/sspDdsdFd6

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) April 12, 2026

Villarreal, on the other hand, is having a rosy time in third place, all-but guaranteeing a UEFA Champions League spot next season despite this being only their second win in eight LaLiga away games (D2, L4).