Managerless Villarreal fall to Atletico Madrid defeat despite hard-fought display

Villarreal couldn't manage to secure their position against Atletico Madrid and ended up losing in the capital city on Sunday night.

The Yellow team didn't have a head coach for this game as Marcelino wasn't scheduled to be assigned until Monday. Despite this setback, they were able to score first with Gerard Moreno leading the way.

The Spanish player scored a goal by smartly finishing a rebound that came from Alexander Sorloth's shot which was saved by the goalkeeper. Sorloth had a chance to score the second goal, but his shot was also saved by Jan Oblak.

Until the first half's stoppage time, Villarreal managed to maintain their position. However, Axel Witsel was able to seize the opportunity and score thanks to a cross towards the back post.

In the second half, the Yellows put up a strong front, determined to leave the capital with at least a point. However, their determination crumbled after a smart pass was made to Marcos Llorente near the far post. Llorente quickly passed the ball across the goal, allowing Antoine Griezmann to score effortlessly from close range.

Villarreal hadn't even started trying to win the game when Atletico scored their third goal. Only five minutes after that, Atletico's Pablo Barrios ran down the right side of the box and passed it to Lino, who impressively scored the goal without taking an extra touch.

That's how it ended and Villarreal will now head into the international break with a 10-point difference from the top six teams. However, they will have a new coach when they resume. The team also wants Alexander Sorloth to recover from his injury, which he sustained during the match.