Villarreal beat Valencia 2-0 at Mestalla to cement third place and close in on Real Madrid and Barcelona ahead of the Clásico, with Gerard Moreno and Santi Comesaña on target and the table tightening at the top.
Villarreal’s 2-0 victory away to Valencia did more than bank another three points.
It reinforced the image of a team that is learning to control games on the road, tightened their grip on third place, and nudged them closer to the two pace setters, Real Madrid and Barcelona, who clash later today in the capital. It was a professional performance in a difficult stadium, built on patience, defensive discipline, and timely quality in the final third.
The match turned on moments of composure. Gerard Moreno, the veteran forward who continues to be the face and finishing touch of this Villarreal side, broke the deadlock at the end of the first half. The penalty arrived in minute 45 and he converted with the calm of a player who has lived these situations many times. That strike changed the tone of the contest. Valencia had worked hard to keep the game even, compressing space and leaning on transitions, but once they fell behind the dynamic shifted. Villarreal no longer needed to force play. They could circulate the ball, draw pressure, and look for the second goal on their terms.
It came early after the interval. In minute 57 Santi Comesaña sealed the result, rewarding the team’s insistence on pushing midfielders into advanced areas to overload the edge of the box. The second goal deflated Valencia and allowed Villarreal to manage the final half hour with control. The Yellow Submarine were smart about tempo. They leaned on longer sequences of possession, used the full width, and showed maturity in the way they killed Valencia momentum after each turnover.
From a personnel standpoint, Valencia began with Portuguese right back Thierry Correia, who provided energy up the flank before making way in minute 83. André Almeida came on around the hour mark to add craft between the lines, an attempt to find the pass that would break Villarreal’s compact shape. The effort never quite materialized. Villarreal’s central defenders kept the box clean, and the holding midfield screen was alert to cutbacks and late arrivals. When Valencia did manage to progress, they were forced into shots from less dangerous zones, or into crosses that were attacked decisively in the air.
The table context amplifies the significance of the win. Villarreal move to 20 points, firm in third, and within range of the top two. Valencia, meanwhile, are on nine points, winless in five, and drop to fifteenth. That run tells its own story. There is industry in their play and long spells of honest defending, but the lack of end product is starting to weigh on the group. Home crowds expect edge and punch. When the first goal goes against them, anxiety seeps in and the margin for error collapses.
For Villarreal, the performance was a template for away days. The back line stayed connected, the full backs chose their moments to advance, and the midfield understood when to speed the game and when to slow it. In transition they were direct without being reckless. The first pass after a regain often found a forward who could hold play and wait for support. That pattern wore Valencia down. By the final quarter of an hour, Villarreal were winning second balls, drawing fouls in midfield, and letting the clock work in their favor.
Gerard Moreno’s influence goes beyond the penalty. His movement dragged defenders out of the central lane, opening pockets for late runs. He is comfortable dropping off the front to combine, but he still occupies the box with a striker’s instincts. Comesaña’s goal highlighted that interplay. With defenders drawn to Moreno, the lane opened for a midfielder to step in and finish. Villarreal will be pleased with how different profiles contributed. The forwards provided a focal point, the midfield added goals, and the defenders protected their area.
The broader La Liga picture adds intrigue. Real Madrid sit on 24 points. Barcelona are at 22. Villarreal now have 20. The Clásico will either widen or compress the gap above them. If there is a draw in Madrid, the top three remain within a narrow band. If there is a winner, Villarreal know that consistent pressure from below can force errors later in the autumn cycle. The next block of fixtures will be about sustaining momentum. Good teams collect points when they are playing well. Very good teams collect points even when the performance is only solid. Against Valencia, Villarreal were more than solid. They were sensible and effective.
The other results of the day filled out the narrative. Athletic Bilbao, eighth on 14 points, were stunned at San Mamés by Getafe, who also sit on 14, in a 1-0 match that hinged on a single lapse. Espanyol, fourth with 18, edged Elche, seventh with 14, by the same 1-0 score, a result that underscores how tight the race is in the upper midtable. At the bottom, Girona, currently twentieth with seven, traded blows in a chaotic 3-3 with Oviedo, nineteenth with seven, a meeting of teams desperate for traction. All of it reinforces a theme of the early season. Margins are thin. Small decisions and small errors are deciding games.
What comes next for Villarreal is a different kind of test. It is one thing to climb with a run of wins. It is another to hold your place when the calendar gets busy and opponents set up specifically to kill your strengths. The staff will focus on recovery, rotation, and keeping the same defensive standards that underpinned the clean sheet at Mestalla. The attack will continue to revolve around intelligent movement and quick support to the first receiver. Set pieces will matter. So will the first 15 minutes of each half, the phases that often decide whether a match becomes open or remains locked.
For Valencia the path is clear. They need a result to break the cycle and restore belief. The irony is that the defensive base is not far off. The structure holds for long stretches. What is missing is the decisive action in the final third, either a clean through ball or a clinical finish. The faster they find it, the faster they will climb away from the trap door.
Villarreal leave with three points, another clean sheet, and a clear sense of identity. They are close enough to feel the warmth from the lights of the Clásico above them. If they keep this level, they will be more than spectators as the title race intensifies.
