Deportivo La Coruna turn 2-1 deficit into 3-2 win at Villarreal

Deportivo La Coruna defeated Villarreal 3-2 at Estadio de la Ceramica on Saturday, overturning a 2-1 deficit with three goals in the final 14 minutes. The result gave Deportivo the win after a 1-1 half-time score in La Liga’s fourth regular-season round.

Pépé gives Villarreal the lead

Villarreal started with greater control and opened the scoring in the 19th minute. Ayoze Pérez provided the assist for Nicolas Pépé, who finished to make it 1-0. Pépé was Villarreal’s highest-rated player, earning an 8.2 rating, while also recording four key passes and one shot on target.

Deportivo responded before the interval. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang set up Luismi Cruz in the 43rd minute, and Cruz’s goal sent the teams into half-time level. The visitors then made the first substitution of the second half when Yeremay Hernández replaced Riki Rodríguez in the 54th minute.

Late turn changes the result

Villarreal appeared to have regained the advantage after Adama Traoré’s own goal put them 2-1 ahead in the 76th minute. Deportivo, however, needed only three minutes to equalise again. Aubameyang supplied his second assist of the match for Zakaria Eddahchouri, who made it 2-2 in the 79th minute after coming on in the 66th minute.

The decisive goal arrived in the 88th minute, with Aubameyang finishing Deportivo’s late surge himself. His performance earned a 9.0 rating over 90 minutes, with one goal, two assists, two key passes and two tackles. Lorenzo Amatucci and Yeremay Hernández were booked in the 90th minute, while Villarreal’s Santi Comesaña and Tajon Buchanan received yellow cards in the closing stages. There were no red cards.

Villarreal control the numbers but lose

The scoreline contrasted with Villarreal’s statistical dominance. The home side had 63% possession, completed 577 accurate passes from 641 total, and produced 17 shots to Deportivo’s eight. Villarreal also led 9-6 for shots inside the box and 7-1 for corners. Deportivo were more efficient, though, scoring three times from only three shots on target, while Villarreal had five shots on goal. Deportivo goalkeeper saves totalled four, compared with none for Villarreal.

The victory improves Deportivo’s record from one win and two draws to two wins and two draws, taking them to eight points. Villarreal, previously on two points from three matches, remain on two points after their first defeat, with a record of no wins, two draws and two losses. Deportivo entered the match in ninth place and Villarreal in 16th; the supplied standings listed them on five and two points respectively before the result.