Oluwaseyi's Late Strike Ends VAR Nightmare for Villarreal Against Relegation-Battling Mallorca

Très Divertissant Score Futmetrix: 78/100. A six-pointer between third-placed champions-in-waiting and a team clawing for survival exploded into an intensity-soaked thriller where controversial VAR calls determined the outcome of three crucial points.

Moreno's Lightning Start Sets the Tempo

Villarreal came out swinging. Gerard Moreno needed just six minutes to break the deadlock, converting from Ayoze Pérez's assist and announcing the hosts' intent. Two minutes later, Mallorca answered through Samú Costa, restoring balance and proving this wasn't a one-sided affair. The stakes were palpable: Villarreal chasing European football; Mallorca fighting relegation.

Three Lead Changes and VAR Mayhem

The match swung three times, embodying the balance between a team destined for Europe and one clinging to survival. Villarreal dominated possession (58%), but Mallorca's counter-attacking threat remained live. Then came the chaos: in the 77th minute, VAR overturned a Villarreal penalty—a decision that would have sealed the game. Six minutes later, substitute Tani Oluwaseyi struck in the 83rd minute, and VAR confirmed it after review. Two interventions that encapsulated the match's volatility and left Mallorca's hopes in ruins.

The Substitute's Decisive Impact

Oluwaseyi, introduced in the 63rd minute, proved to be Villarreal's trump card. His 8.0 rating and match-winning goal demonstrated why tactical changes matter in tight contests. Moreno (7.7 rating, two key passes) built the foundation, but it was the bench player who delivered the knockout blow.

Villarreal consolidates third place with 29 points and 9 wins from 13 games, keeping European ambitions alive. Mallorca remains in the relegation zone at 16th with 12 points—every match now a survival referendum. This victory, wrapped in VAR drama, showed how intensity and adaptability separate contenders from the condemned in La Liga's unforgiving landscape.