The 2020-21 UEFA Europa League, a captivating journey of football excellence, culminated in a historic triumph for Villarreal CF. The yellow submarine is known for their dogged determination, winning this trophy is the biggest achievement in their footballing history. In the final showdown against Manchester United against the odds, Villarreal made history and put a chapter of glory in their esteemed football heritage.
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Villarreal Group Stages
Group Stages in Europa League can be a maze , Villarreal quest to win their first every UEFA Europa League was about to start. Amidst the crucible of competition, Villarreal navigated their path with aplomb, orchestrating a symphony of goals and resolute defence that left spectators in raptures.
With an unblemished record of five wins and a solitary draw, they amassed a staggering 16 points, leaving their opponents in their wake. Villarreal’s goal-scoring prowess was on full display, netting an impressive 17 goals, while their steadfast defence allowed only 5 goals to slip past them, showcasing their tactical astuteness. Villarreal home games with Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv (4-0) ,Turkey’s Sivasspor (5–3) and Qarabağ (3–0) saw moments of brilliance, the away games Qarabağ Azerbaijan 1–3, Maccabi Tel Aviv Israel 1–1 was a tough away game and a very close Sivasspor Turkey 0–1.
With Villarreal’s determination and teamwork shining through, and Unai Emery tacticals securing wins that helped their journey to the knockout phase.
Villarreal’s Knockout Phase Success
Villarreal’s path to glory in the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride through the knockout phases. The yellow submarine faced Red Bull Salzburg at Round of 32, they beat them convincing 2-0 victory in the first leg, followed by a gritty 2-1 win in the second leg.
Villarreal took on Dynamo Kyiv in the Round of 16,, and it was Gerard Moreno who emerged as the hero, scoring twice in the first leg, securing a comfortable 2-0 lead. The second leg saw Pau Torres and Raul Albiol stepping up to the plate, ensuring a mirror image of the first-leg result.
Reaching the quarter-finals, they mets with the great Dinamo Zagreb, with Gerard Moreno once again proving his worth, this time converting a penalty to clinch a vital 1-0 victory in the first leg. The return leg saw Paco Alcacer and Moreno himself finding the net, securing a 2-1 win and progression to the semi-finals.
Villarreal got drawn with a very powerful English giants Arsenal. The first leg witnessed Manu Trigueros 5th and Albiol 29th netting the crucial goals, sealing a 2-1 victory. Ceballos needlessly got himself sent off 57, aswell as Capoue received a red card in 80th, adding a dramatic ending with Pepe scoring a pen 73th. The second leg ended in a bore draw 0-0, but Emery’s team got them resilience and defensively solid, this was enough to secure their spot in the finals for the first time in the club’s history.
Villarreal vs Manchester United Final
The grand finale of the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League unfolded on a memorable night, the 26th of May, 2021, under the floodlights of the Stadion Miejski in Gdańsk. In a twist of fate determined by a draw held on the 19th of March, Villarreal of Spain faced off against Manchester United from England, setting the stage for a clash of titans. Unai Emery, the mastermind tactician, found himself in his fifth European final, an astonishing feat. Ole Gunnar Solskjær was in their dugout for Manchester United, his first ever final as the club’s manager.
The game started and without fans you can feel the nerves and tensions from the players. Gerard managed to score first for the yellow submarine in the 29th minute set the tone. However Manchester United managed to break the yellow submarine defence down and Edinson Cavani found the net in the 55th minute. The closest battled game was extended to extra time, and the tension in the stadium was nerve wracking. It took an astounding 22 penalties for Villarreal to emerge victorious, with a final score of 11-10. Each player’s nerves were tested in the nerve-wracking penalty shootout, with Rulli, Villarreal’s goalkeeper, ultimately becoming the hero De Gea becoming the villain. Each and everyone of them are heroes from the manager Emery to the kit manager, what they have achieved that night will go down in folk lore history, to beat one of the biggest and best historic team in the world. Gerard Moreno won player of the tournament with 7 goals and 5 assists. 6 of the squad got into the squad of the tournament Rulli, Albiol, Pedraza, Torres, Parejo, Capoue and of course Moreno.
Catch you in the next one.