“Villarreal Would Not Yield”
Antonio’s late header rescued a point against Real Sociedad, whose early lead and clear chances had threatened to make the top-five meeting a painful one for the hosts.
Villarreal needed a result to protect fourth place; Real Sociedad arrived fifth, a point behind. On Sunday, 2 March, neither side left the Spanish First Division’s top-five tangle with the advantage, but Villarreal had to wait until the 89th minute to keep their visitors at arm’s length: 1-1, and the gap remained a single point.
Iván Pons put Real Sociedad ahead in the ninth minute, meeting the ball with a close-range volley that skidded along the ground. The centre-back’s finish made good on the threat our preview identified in the duel with Francesco Meazzini, though the Villarreal winger began on the bench. Pons, who was named player of the match, gave the visitors a lead they held almost to the end.
Real Sociedad had the greater share of the ball and the more abundant chances, forcing Villarreal’s goalkeeper into six saves. The visitors also struck the woodwork once; Villarreal hit it twice. But five clear-cut chances brought only one goal, and the home side’s stubbornness kept the contest alive.
Antonio, starting on the left rather than in his usual central-midfield role, supplied the last word. His close-range shot was blocked or saved, but he followed the rebound and headed in from mid-height. The equaliser turned a long afternoon of resistance into a point, and settled our preview’s central question: the expected 4-3-3 shapes met, but Villarreal’s missing regulars and Antonio’s altered role did not prevent them from answering Sociedad’s early blow.
The draw preserved the narrow separation between the clubs. Villarreal’s next Spanish First Division fixture is against Girona on 14 March; for now, a late, hard-earned header has kept the yellow side ahead.