Malaga 1-3 Villarreal: Yellow Submarine sinks hosts with clinical display

Malaga 1-3 Villarreal: Yellow Submarine sinks hosts with clinical display

Villarreal produced a masterclass in counter-attacking football to secure a comfortable 3-1 victory over Malaga at La Rosaleda. Gerard Moreno's brace and a late strike from Alexander Sorloth ensured the Yellow Submarine maintained their perfect start to the season, while the hosts were left to rue missed opportunities.

The visitors took the lead against the run of play on 24 minutes. After Malaga had dominated the early exchanges, Villarreal broke quickly through Etienne Capoue, who found Moreno in the box. The Spanish international showed excellent composure to lift the ball over Malaga goalkeeper Juan Soriano and into the net.

Malaga equalised on 38 minutes through Paulino de la Fuente, who capitalised on a defensive error from Raul Albiol to fire home from 12 yards. However, Villarreal restored their advantage just before half-time, with Moreno notching his second after latching onto Sorloth's knockdown.

The second half saw Villarreal take complete control. Marcelino's side were content to soak up Malaga's pressure and hit them on the break, with Sorloth sealing the victory on 78 minutes after another rapid counter-attack. The Norwegian international has now scored 4 goals in his last 3 appearances against Malaga.

The result sees Villarreal maintain their 100% record in LaLiga, with 5 wins from 5 matches. Malaga, meanwhile, drop to 14th place and will need to improve their defensive organisation if they are to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle.

We knew they would come at us, especially at home. The key was to stay patient and take our chances when they came. Moreno was fantastic today - a real leader on the pitch.— Marcelino, Villarreal manager, post-match press conference, La Rosaleda, September 17, 2026

Report by Núria Salvat. Data source: OneLightScore match centre. Image: Platform library (OneLightScore).