Villarreal collides with a wall

Villarreal will take time to forget this game. Elche will appear in some or other of his nightmares. Despite the fact that Emery's team signs its best start in the First Division and has already chained 14 games unbeaten (third draw in a row), this time it was time for their first match without a goal at La Cerámica. The culprit was Almirón and a defensive approach that could be studied in coaching courses. The Argentine coach handcuffed a cage of reinforced concrete with hardly any cracks to the varied attack of the Submarine that, despite his total dominance of possession, only put Edgar to the test a couple of times in the final stretch.

The first half, above all, was a performance recital by Verdú, Diego González and company. Sometimes laborious work without the ball is more enjoyable than the showy skills we usually fixate on with it. Almirón chose to give continuity to the line of four defenses with the novelty that their interiors, instead of going to look for their mark, were withdrawing practically as laterals, turning the rear into an insurmountable wall of six warriors. Villarreal knew how to respond to that proposal. He moved the ball too slowly and without precision, he did not know how to create superiority on the inside and, above all, he never had references in the area in those first forty-five minutes. Without Alcácer to start, and with Gerard's desire to start on the right, nobody bothered the center-backs in that stretch. Result: a shot by Estupiñán in a foul was the only offensive baggage of the yellow team, which could only boast at that point that they already defend him like a great.

The Submarine began to get overwhelmed, since Elche did not suffer and began to unfold, led by Marcone and pecking with the quality of Fidel and Pere Milla. Emery's team embraced the break as the necessary period for reflection and for the boosters to warm up. At the start, the man from Hondarribia pulled Alcácer and Kubo and there, with the change from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 with at least one lighthouse in the area, things began to change slightly. Baena, who had made his debut in LaLiga, was one of those sacrificed although he had been the one who behaved best in the traffic jam. Chukwueze followed him. Elche continued while doing his own thing, giving a master's degree in solidarity in the effort. If something was missing, it was to threaten the contra. If I already had that, I would be in the Champions League. Kubo, highly motivated and free of movement, threw the team on his back and had the best chance (73 '). The Japanese finished with the toe a pass to the hole of Parejo. Edgar responded like the cat that he is, demonstrating that in the absence of centimeters to provide excess agility. Pau's header (88 ') hit the crossbar, but the goalkeeper had the situation under control.

Villarreal had renewed strength and ideas to disturb, until Alcácer suffered from his injury and left (78 '). There the frustration spread and Elche was empowered in search of its fourth consecutive draw. He was so strong that, despite having five changes, he only made a pair in 87 'to gain time. The Alicante team is a recently promoted team and an example of power and integrity. More than heart, which is left over, he has order, work and head.