In a thrilling display of Spanish football, Villarreal clinched a dramatic 3-2 victory over Real Sociedad this Sunday, with Alberto Moleiro emerging as the hero with a last-gasp winning goal.
La Liga Drama Unfolds in San Sebastian
The match, held in San Sebastian, was a rollercoaster from start to finish. Villarreal drew first blood midway through the first half when Ayoze Pérez found the back of the net to put the visitors ahead.
The momentum stayed with the Yellow Submarine after the break. Pérez turned provider, setting up Alberto Moleiro for the team's second goal shortly after the restart, seemingly putting Villarreal in a commanding position.
However, Real Sociedad mounted a fierce comeback. Carlos Soler scored on the hour mark to give the hosts hope. The pressure intensified in the final stages when Ander Barrenetxea expertly converted a free-kick to level the score, setting up a grandstand finish.
Just when a draw seemed inevitable, Alberto Moleiro struck again in the 95th minute, securing all three points for Villarreal with a stunning winner. This crucial result propels Villarreal to joint second place in La Liga, now level on points with giants Real Madrid.
Celtic's Quick-Fire Double Secures Victory
Meanwhile, in the Scottish Premiership, interim manager Martin O'Neill continued his perfect domestic record as Celtic secured a hard-fought 2-1 win away to Hibernian.
The reigning champions were electrifying in the first half, scoring two goals in a blistering 33-second spell. The breakthrough came in the 27th minute after a poor pass from Hibernian goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger allowed Reo Hatate to steal possession. Hatate squared the ball to Daizen Maeda, who rolled it into an empty net.
Almost instantly, Celtic doubled their lead at Easter Road. Arne Engels bravely headed in Hyun-Jun Yang's cross while taking a boot to the face, demonstrating immense commitment for the cause.
Celtic nearly put the game to bed when Maeda's clever back-heel set up Marcelo Saracchi, but the full-back's shot agonizingly struck the post.
Hibernian Fightback Falls Short
Hibernian emerged from the half-time break with renewed vigour. They found a route back into the game when Martin Boyle calmly converted a penalty, awarded after a handball by Liam Scales.
The hosts pushed hard for an equalizer, with Chris Cadden coming close late on, but his shot was well saved by the legs of Celtic's experienced goalkeeper, Kasper Schmeichel.
This victory, Celtic's sixth in seven matches under O'Neill, lifts the team to within two points of Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts, with the added advantage of a game in hand. In a related update, O'Neill confirmed he would remain in charge for Celtic's next match against Dundee as the club finalizes the appointment of Wilfried Nancy as the new permanent manager.
The result compounds the misery for Hibernian's arch-rivals, Hearts, who dropped points for the third consecutive league game after a goalless draw with Motherwell on Saturday.
