Aston Villa ended their preseason campaign with a victory against Villarreal in the Estadio de la Cerámica on Sunday evening.
2025 Club Friends
0-2
- Ollie Watkins (23 ')
- Buendia (49 ')
Match report
Ollie Watkins continued his fine form on his way to the Premier League campaign, so he achieved his fifth goal of the preseason when he shot home after 23 minutes.
A second goal arrived shortly after the break when Emi Beendía hit a shot in the bottom corner.
Emi Martínez was present to make a number of nice saves on the other side while Villa eliminated their opponents.
The competition was the last of eight warm -up competitions for Unai Emery's Squad, who are now looking forward to organizing Newcastle United in Villa Park on Saturday when the domestic season starts.
Just over 24 hours after playing Olympique de Marseille in France, Emery took his team to Villarreal, a place where he spent two years and the Europa League won in 2021.
Martínez, Ian Maatsen, Watkins, Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres, back in his hometown, belonged to the starters on the east coast of Spain.
The hosts who have Champions League football to look out at this period, started clearly, with Martínez holding the shot of Tajon Buchanan before they do well to tip Santi Comesaña Veiga over the bar.
Gerard Moreno passed a golden chance after 17 minutes when the Villarreal captain widely shot with the goal of his grace at the end of a quick counterattack.
Villa let their opponents pay shortly thereafter when Watkins bounced on the rebound of Buendía's ride and took a touch before bumping past Júnior.
Gerard's scorching night before the goal continued at half an hour of half an hour when he was refused by Martínez from a point-blank range and then nodded the loose ball on the wrong side of the post.
While the first half ended, Triston Rowe made a crucial tackle on Pau Cabanes before Tielemans and Leon Bailey Júnior called in Saven.
The second half was only four minutes old when the visitors expanded their advantage, Beendía took the ball on the edge of the box after an interception of Boubacar Kamara and sent a powerful shot that flew past sub 'Keeper Diego Counde.
Evann Guessand was the first replacement used by Emery, with the new man who replaced the lively jamh-aloba.
The Ivorian took a role on the left and almost immediately imposed Beendía before his side of the night of the night, but saw his drilled cross turn around by Valou.
Villarreal made changes all night and two substitutes, Sergi Cardona and Ilias Akhomach, almost combined to withdraw one when the last led the lost cross wide of the target.
But the away match maintained their control over the match when tapped time, with the last whistle ensuring that the preseason ended in a positive tone.
Line-ups
Villarreal XI: G. Moreno, Pedraza, Santi Comesaña, Pape Gueye, Adrià Altimira, Yeremy, Buchanan, Luiz Júnior, Pau Navarro, Pau Cabanes, Jean Ives Valouou
Subs: Parejo, Denis Suarez, Pedey, Pepe, Foyth, Diego Conde, Sergi Cardona, Alberto Moleiro, Ilias Akhomach, Etta Eyong, Santiago Mouriño
Aston Villa XI: E. Martinez, Tielemans, Ollie Watkins, Buendia, Bailey, P. Torres, Kamara, Ngoyo, Maatsen, Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba, Triston Rowe
Subs: Marco Bizot, Digne, álex Moreno, McGinn, Mings, Matty Cash, Malen, Evann Guessand, Amadou Onana, Jacob Ramsey, Samuel Iling-Junior, Lewis Dobbin, Lamare Bogarde, Travis Patterson, Yeimar Proctor, Yeimar, Yeimar, Yeimar, Yeimar, Yeimar, Yeimar, Yeimaringsingsingsingsingsingsingsingsingsingsingsingsingsingsingsingsingsingsingsingsingsingsingsingsing