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Villarreal wrap up 2024 by beating Leganés in an electrifying match with a magical performance from Barry, who scored a hat-trick

Villarreal ended 2024 with a victory after beating Leganés (2-5) in an electrifying match in which the Yellows went from strength to strength and, with a stellar performance from Barry – with three goals – and two more goals from Gerard Moreno and Pau Cabanes, returned to winning ways.

The Yellows came from behind twice and, in a great second half, turned around a game in which the home side were reduced to nine men after Óscar Rodríguez and Jorge Sáenz were shown red cards.

Villarreal CF visited Butarque with the clear objective of getting back to winning ways in LALIGA, something they had not achieved since 9th November after beating Deportivo Alavés at La Cerámica (3-0). In front of them awaited CD Leganés with the same aim, in their case, to stop glancing over their shoulder at the relegation zone.

The match did not start well for Marcelino’s side, who found themselves behind in the seventh minute of the game. Cissé, arriving from deep at the edge of the box, put in a low cross from the right flank to beat Luiz Júnior and make it 1-0.

The Submarine reacted quickly and were in the game. Just ten minutes later, Thierno Barry got his boot to the toe of a deflected ball from inside the box which, with some intrigue, found its way into Dmitrovic’s net. The Franco-Guinean was back on target again and levelled the match once more.

Villarreal, better than their opponents after the equaliser, had chances to score, with Álex Baena’s shot from the edge of the area repelled by the wall and side crosses looking for the dangerous Thierno Barry. However, a penalty in the 33rd minute, converted by Dani Raba, tipped the balance back in the home side’s favour.

The Submarine managed to counter that goal before the break, coincidentally, just like their opponents, from the penalty spot. Yeremy went down inside the area and was clearly struck by a Leganés defender and the referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty, which Thierno Barry converted to score his double at Butarque.

With the score level at two goals each, the referee blew for at half-time.

In the second half, and before the first quarter of an hour had elapsed, the home side were reduced to ten men following a double aggression by Óscar Rodríguez on Yeremy Pino and then on Kiko Femenía.

Villarreal soon took advantage of their superiority and in the best possible way: by taking the lead. Yeremy, very active in the second half, broke away from his team-mate with a diagonal run inside and put the ball into the heart of the box where Barry, with some luck, managed to control it to shoot past the home goalkeeper to make it 2-3 and sign his first hat-trick in a Submarine shirt.

After the goal, the Submarine controlled the game and kept the pace down in a very tight game, but in the final stretch, Leganés were reduced to nine men after a hard tackle by Jorge Sáenz on Thierno Barry.

With the home side depleted, in stoppage time, Gerard sealed the win with an impeccable penalty kick and Pau Cabanes, almost in the last action, made it 2-5 and scored his first in LALIGA after getting on the end of a rebound off the post from Pape Gueye in the box.

Villarreal signed off 2024 with a victory over the side from Madrid. The Yellow Submarine’s next game will take place on 13th January, when they travel to the Reale Arena to take on Real Sociedad in the match corresponding to Matchday 19.