Villarreal 0-0 Athletic Bilbao: Honours even between Champions League chasers

Athletic Bilbao maintained the six-point spread to fifth-placed Villarreal successful LaLiga aft playing retired a 0-0 gully astatine the Estadio de la Ceramica connected Sunday.

Villarreal had to navigate the last stages with 10 men aft Pape Gueye was sent disconnected for a mediocre situation connected Maroan Sannadi.

Ayoze Perez was presented with the archetypal opportunity, arsenic helium fired a volley consecutive astatine Unai Simon aft being recovered by Santi Comesana.

Villarreal continued to bask the amended of the chances successful the contest. Tajon Buchanan was the adjacent to trial Simon, but his stinging effort was repelled by the Spanish fig one.

Thierno Barry should person enactment the hosts up successful the 68th minute, but the guardant was incapable to crook Gerard Moreno’s teasing transverse into an bare net.

Barry made nary mistake for what helium thought would beryllium the opener soon after, but the extremity was ruled retired for handball successful the build-up pursuing a VAR review.

Bilbao had seldom threatened but were handed a accidental to snatch each 3 points precocious connected erstwhile Villarreal substitute Gueye received his marching orders conscionable 20 minutes aft being introduced into the action.

But Ernesto Valverde’s squad were incapable to marque their antheral vantage count, mustering conscionable 1 effort connected people successful the closing stages, which Luiz Junior was capable to comfortably gather.

Final en el Estadio de la Cerámica.

Un Submarino valiente y trabajador que se quedó con 10 a falta de quince minutos para el final, merece más en la visita de un sólido Athletic. #VillarrealAthletic (90’+8′) pic.twitter.com/q06Ei5nFXZ

— Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) April 6, 2025

Data Debrief: Villarreal near to rue missed opportunities

Villarreal volition look backmost connected this contention arsenic an accidental missed to adjacent the spread to the apical 4 successful LaLiga, having mostly had the amended of proceedings.

They ended the contention with an expected goals (xG) full of 1.74 from their 12 shots to Bilbao’s 0.73 from their 11 attempts.

Villarreal person present drawn 17 of their 50 matches against Bilbao successful LaLiga (W18 L15), with lone Espanyol (20) and Real Madrid (17) having drawn much games against them successful their past successful the contention (16, besides against Atletico Madrid).

Bilbao’s Champions League propulsion has been built connected a sturdy defence, and they person present kept 10 cleanable sheets successful the league this term. Only Atleti (13) and Basque rivals Real Sociedad (12) person kept much shutouts successful the contention successful 2024-25.