La Liga Gameweek 12
Espanyol 0 - 2 FT Villarreal
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Most read in the last 24 hours
Futmetrix Verdict
52
FT
Sat, Sep 19
Brighton
3-0
Arsenal
⚡ Intensity
37
⚖️ Balance
17
🏆 Stakes
70
🎲 Upset
80
Brighton dismantle league leaders Arsenal.
Futmetrix Verdict
55
FT
Sun, Sep 20
Gamba Osaka
0-1
Vissel Kobe
⚡ Intensity
40
⚖️ Balance
20
🏆 Stakes
78
🎲 Upset
0
Erik breaks Gamba hearts at 90'
Futmetrix Verdict
100
FT
Sun, Sep 20
Machida Zelvia
2-4
Kashiwa Reysol
⚡ Intensity
100
⚖️ Balance
78
🏆 Stakes
100
🎲 Upset
12
Kashiwa Reysol conquer Machida in away thriller
Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Expected Goals (xG)
Passes
Pass Accuracy
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
G. Moreno (S. Comesana) 43'
HT
A. Moleiro 57'
60' ↓ P. Lozano ↑K. Garcia
Tajon Buchanan 61'
↓ G. Moreno ↑N. Pepe 71'
71' ↓ P. Milla ↑C. Pickel
71' ↓ Exposito ↑Jofre
↓ T. Oluwaseyi ↑A. Perez 74'
↓ S. Comesana ↑P. Gueye 74'
Pau Navarro 81'
82' ↓ U. Gonzalez ↑M. Rubio
82' ↓ O. El Hilali ↑R. Sanchez
↓ A. Moleiro ↑S. Cardona 83'
↓ T. Buchanan ↑I. Akhomach 83'
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
Espanyol
Goalkeepers
Marko Dmitrović 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Omar El Hilali
LATE SHIFT
8
Late Mins
8
Late Mins
82
Total Mins
82
Entry
Fernando Calero 
MAGNET
110
Activity
110
Activity
104
Passes
6
Duels
Leandro Cabrera
MAGNET
96
Activity
96
Activity
84
Passes
12
Duels
José Salinas 
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
0
Assists
49%
Pass Acc
Midfielders
Tyrhys Dolan
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Urko González
LATE SHIFT
8
Late Mins
8
Late Mins
82
Total Mins
82
Entry
Pol Lozano
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
60
Total Mins
60
Entry
Pere Milla
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
71
Total Mins
71
Entry
Forwards
Edu Expósito
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
0
Assists
26%
Pass Acc
Roberto Fernández
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
BENCH
Ángel Fortuño 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Pol Tristán
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Rubén Sánchez
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
8
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Miguel Ángel Rubio
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
8
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Clemens Riedel
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Charles Pickel
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
19
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Javi Hernández
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jofre Carreras
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
19
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Kike García
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
30
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Antoniu Roca
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Luca Koleosho
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Villarreal
Goalkeepers
Luíz Júnior
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Pau Navarro
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Rafa Marín
MAGNET
90
Activity
90
Activity
84
Passes
6
Duels
Renato Veiga
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Alfonso Pedraza
ARCHITECT
2
Key Passes
2
Key Passes
0
Assists
30%
Pass Acc
Midfielders
Tajon Buchanan
LATE SHIFT
7
Late Mins
7
Late Mins
83
Total Mins
83
Entry
Santi Comesaña 
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
1
Key Passes
7
Rating
Thomas Partey
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Alberto Moleiro 
SNIPER
50%
Conversion
50%
Conversion
1
Goals
2
Shots
Forwards
Gerard Moreno
SNIPER
50%
Conversion
50%
Conversion
1
Goals
2
Shots
Tani Oluwaseyi
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
74
Total Mins
74
Entry
BENCH
Diego Conde
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Arnau Tenas
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Adrià Altimira
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Juan Foyth
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Santiago Mouriño
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Sergi Cardona
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
11
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Dani Parejo
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Pape Gueye
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
16
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ilias Akhomach
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
11
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Nicolas Pépé
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
19
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ayoze Pérez
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
16
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Hugo López
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Head to Head
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/08/2025 | Espanyol | 0 - 2 | Villarreal | La Liga | RCDE Stadium |
| 04/27/2025 | Villarreal | 1 - 0 | Espanyol | La Liga | Estadio de la Cerámica |
| 09/26/2024 | Espanyol | 1 - 2 | Villarreal | La Liga | RCDE Stadium |
| 04/27/2023 | Villarreal | 4 - 2 | Espanyol | La Liga | Estadio de la Cerámica |
| 11/09/2022 | Espanyol | 0 - 1 | Villarreal | La Liga | RCDE Stadium |
| 02/27/2022 | Villarreal | 5 - 1 | Espanyol | La Liga | Estadio de la Cerámica |
11/08/2025
04/27/2025
09/26/2024
04/27/2023
11/09/2022
02/27/2022
Espanyol Win
Villarreal Win
Draw
League Standings
P: 12 GD: +16
P: 12 GD: +17
P: 12 GD: +14
P: 12 GD: +13
P: 12 GD: +6
P: 12 GD: 0
P: 12 GD: -1
P: 12 GD: -2
P: 12 GD: -1
P: 12 GD: 0
P: 12 GD: -1
P: 12 GD: -2
P: 12 GD: -3
P: 12 GD: -3
P: 12 GD: -6
P: 12 GD: -4
P: 12 GD: -10
P: 12 GD: -13
P: 12 GD: -7
Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching
Espanyol
Villarreal
Espanyol
Villarreal
Win Probability
Futmetrix AI estimate
Villarreal executes a clinical heist at Cornellà with devastating intensity
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 27/100. The Submarine Yellow consolidates third place with a flawless away performance, while Espanyol's defensive frailties expose a team spiraling toward mediocrity.
Precision over possession at Cornellà
Villarreal arrived at Cornellà with a blueprint: suffocate, then strike. Despite surrendering 55% possession to Espanyol, the visitors turned scarcity into lethality. Gerard Moreno broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute, finishing a Santi Comesana assist with the clinical touch of a striker in rhythm. Espanyol's 14 shots told the real story—volume masking void. They dominated the ball yet created almost nothing of substance, managing just 3 shots on target against a Villarreal side that made every touch count.
The second half becomes an execution
The restart brought finality. Alberto Moleiro added the second in minute 57, transforming a contest into a masterclass. Espanyol's balance crumbled under pressure. Renato Veiga and Alfonso Pedraza orchestrated a defensive symphony, reducing the home side to frustration. The away backline's 7.5+ ratings reflected their stranglehold on proceedings.
Stakes and trajectory
This defeat deepens Espanyol's crisis. Sixth place (18 points, 5 wins from 12) masks a squad hemorrhaging consistency. Four losses in their last six matches signal a team adrift. Villarreal, by contrast, climbs stakes with ruthless efficiency: 26 points from 12 games, 8 wins, a goal difference of +14. They're title contenders operating at a different altitude.
Key Questions
What does this mean for Espanyol's season?
A freefall. Four defeats in six games signal a team losing its footing. European qualification is slipping; survival could soon become the real battle.
What is the Futmetrix Score?
The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.
Archive note: this preview was written after the match was played.
Villarreal's relentless march meets Espanyol's fragile form
Highly Entertaining Futmetrix Score: 75/100. Champions League qualification hangs in the balance as Villarreal's five-game winning streak faces Espanyol's wavering defence in a certified six-pointer.
The Setup
Villarreal arrives in third with 32 points and the form of champions—five consecutive victories, a +16 goal difference, and 10 wins from 14 matches. Espanyol, sixth with 24 points, has cracked recently: two losses in their last five games expose fragility despite a narrow +2 goal difference. The stakes are unmistakable: this is a direct battle for European football. Villarreal's balance is near-perfect; Espanyol's equilibrium is shattered.
Key Battle
Alberto Moleiro (Villarreal) versus Fernando Calero (Espanyol). Moleiro is the standout star—three goals and two assists in four matches, averaging 7.6—while Calero anchors Espanyol's backline with the same rating across two outings. Moleiro's creative runs from the wing will test Calero's positioning and recovery pace. Whoever controls this duel dictates the tempo.
Our Prediction
Villarreal 2-1. The visitors dominate early possession, pressing high and exploiting Espanyol's defensive hesitation. Espanyol absorbs the onslaught, then strikes on the counter—one goal keeps them alive. But Villarreal's relentless wave overwhelms them in the final 20 minutes. Marko Dmitrović makes crucial saves; Luiz Júnior proves decisive in the shootout moments.