VILLARREAL-REAL SOCIEDAD La Real, leading Europe

This is the Real one. The one before confinement. The one that eliminated Madrid. The one that must play a derby as a final in the Cup. If in the first half he pulled self-esteem and had the misfortune to run into Asenjo's wings, in the second, he found oil on set pieces with two corner corners headed by Willian José and Llorente, curiously with the unexpected authorization of a doorman come to less with the passage of minutes. The result, which was important at this point, was a logical consequence of the rest. Imanol's team always seemed more and better. Without Gerard, Alcácer and Iborra, Villarreal lacked personality, mettle and, above all, punch. Fer Niño was Calleja's bet on attack. And the youth squad, only 19 years old, was substituted at half-time without having been able to show the world if he was left or right-handed, or if his strength was the punch or the header.

Too much Asenjo did was to hold his team up front. Its first part was to frame. In the second, he had enough to keep his voice so angry. He only contained, at times, an angry, smart and accurate Real who entered the game determined to make up for the time lost this month. First he stopped Monreal, then Isak (twice) and also Barrenetxea. Each of their stops gave some air to a congested team, lost in the middle of the field, with no ideas between the lines and no greyhounds to space. Only Ontiveros was at his height based on missiles with that right-handed man who does not need a run or grease. The invention of putting Cazorla second-rate did not work. The only time that the captain worried until the break, as usual, was starting from where he likes best, the left wing, to go pulling a diagonal of his between feints that he crowned with a thread that almost unbalanced the game. Better Imanol came from Oyarzabal on the right, the exchange of Willian José for Isak and every touch-up he made to his midfield. The halt and the subsequent trigger should not tarnish a major season with the board.

Calleja, aware of the accumulated fatigue of the Real and the forces of his team, strategically kept part of the artillery for the second half and changed the drawing of the playmaker to the entire one to return Cazorla to his nest with the aim of leaving Moi that entangled Merino's back. The point, while not wonderful, was good. The rush was with the Royal. However, with Chukwueze of nine, far from improving the outlook worsened it. There was never a reference. La Real smelled fear and launched into her rival, not caring that the reserve was on. The urge many times outweighs the cramps. Willian José first, and Llorente later, took advantage of the fact that Asenjo had exhausted all his powers in the first forty-five minutes. Cazorla, in 85 ’, only had time to decline andl goalaverage in favor of the Submarine with respect to its rival and put more emotion, despite the excess. Look at the table to check it out. La Real is seventh with 57 points and has Sevilla at home and Atlético out. Villarreal have only three more and, before finishing the season at La Cerámica against Eibar, they visit Madrid with the alirón at stake in Valdebebas. Tickets to Europe in high season were always expensive.