With Girona now sitting on the brink of safety and Villarreal still pushing to get into the Champions League spots, there was clearly one side who needed the points more than the other here.
That was evident from the pattern of the game in the early stages too, with Vilarreal doing all the legwork in the final third, but they were struggling to break down Girona.
The visitors did eventually have the ball in the net through Ayoze Perez, but their joy was short lived as he was adjudged to have bundled the ball over the line with his hand and Girona were handed a reprieve.
Pressure on the hosts’ goal was relentless for most of the first half, yet the same issue continued to arise for the Yellow Submarine. Wastefulness in the final third threatened to come back to haunt them, and Nicolas Pepe was the latest to waste an opportunity when he worked a yard of space inside the area and arrowed over the crossbar.
With the hosts’ head coach Míchel hospitalised for a few days due to undisclosed medical reasons, assistant manager Salva was tasked with taking the team. Without their usual voice on the sidelines though, Girona looked a little out of sorts, and even after the break, were largely pinned inside their own half.
The second half was at least contested a little more evenly than the first, but aside from a blocked Cristhian Stuani effort, Girona were offering precious little in the final third.
It wasn’t just the hosts struggling after the break either, Villarreal were too, something highlighted by the fact their first meaningful sighting of goal in the second half came in the 75th minute when Alex Baena stung the palms of Paulo Gazzaniga from distance.
It was the visitors doing most of the late running for a winning goal, and their efforts bore fruit in the dying moments when Karl Etta Eyong ghosted into the penalty area to head home Alfonso Pedraza’s pinpoint delivery.
Victory for Villarreal provisionally moved them four points clear of sixth-place Real Betis before their game against Osasuna tomorrow evening, heightening belief they’ll be dining out at Europe’s top table next season. Girona are still looking good to stay up regardless, but a point would’ve all but sealed their safety.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Alfonso Pedraza (Villarreal)