Gerard Moreno, the Villarreal striker, returned to haunt his former team Espanyol in a match that was both sweet and bitter. The 33-year-old scored for the third week in a row, breaking a two-year drought, and it was his first goal against Espanyol since joining Villarreal.
The stadium fell silent when Moreno scored, with only his teammates applauding him. However, in a surprising turn of events, the crowd eventually gave him a standing ovation, acknowledging that he had finally beaten them. This moment came after years of frustration for both the player and Espanyol fans.
Moreno's return to form has been welcome news for Villarreal, which sits second in the league table. The team has used its significant budget to strengthen its roster, with recent signings including Georges Mikautadze and Tani Oluwaseyi. This season's top scorer Ayoze Pérez also joined the club earlier.
The match against Espanyol was a big one for Villarreal, as it would have moved them closer to securing a Champions League spot. However, they lost this opportunity after being beaten by Real Betis in their last game.
In contrast, Espanyol has been on a roll, with manager Manolo González guiding the team to success and making headlines for its campaign to end dog abandonment in the region. The players took part in a charity match with rescue dogs on the pitch before the game, which added a heartwarming element to the event.
Moreno's return was welcomed by many, including his former coach Manolo González. In an interview, González expressed his desire to work with Moreno again, citing his past success and talent as reasons for this sentiment.
The match itself saw Villarreal score twice in the second half, while Espanyol failed to capitalize on the chances they created. Despite their loss, Espanyol fans were happy to see Moreno succeed, knowing that it was a moment of closure for both him and his former team.
The stadium fell silent when Moreno scored, with only his teammates applauding him. However, in a surprising turn of events, the crowd eventually gave him a standing ovation, acknowledging that he had finally beaten them. This moment came after years of frustration for both the player and Espanyol fans.
Moreno's return to form has been welcome news for Villarreal, which sits second in the league table. The team has used its significant budget to strengthen its roster, with recent signings including Georges Mikautadze and Tani Oluwaseyi. This season's top scorer Ayoze Pérez also joined the club earlier.
The match against Espanyol was a big one for Villarreal, as it would have moved them closer to securing a Champions League spot. However, they lost this opportunity after being beaten by Real Betis in their last game.
In contrast, Espanyol has been on a roll, with manager Manolo González guiding the team to success and making headlines for its campaign to end dog abandonment in the region. The players took part in a charity match with rescue dogs on the pitch before the game, which added a heartwarming element to the event.
Moreno's return was welcomed by many, including his former coach Manolo González. In an interview, González expressed his desire to work with Moreno again, citing his past success and talent as reasons for this sentiment.
The match itself saw Villarreal score twice in the second half, while Espanyol failed to capitalize on the chances they created. Despite their loss, Espanyol fans were happy to see Moreno succeed, knowing that it was a moment of closure for both him and his former team.
is so weird, like you're applauding him because he finally beats them, but also kinda appreciating the fact that he's back at his old level 
. villarreal's squad has been pretty stacked this season though, with all these new signings, it's clear they've invested in their team 
. and can't say i blame espnyol for wanting to end dog abandonment, that charity match was really cute 
. but seriously, the fact that moreno scored and then got a standing ovation from his old team is just so satisfying 
. I mean, Moreno's been working hard and his team has invested big in him, so it's only fair that he gets rewarded. But what was up with the charity match before the game? That's so cool, I wish more teams would do something like that to help out their community 
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... like, yeah, he scored, big deal! It's not like Villarreal won the Champions League or something... 
And let's be real, it was more about the emotional closure for Espanyol fans than the actual game 
. I mean, what a waste of resources for Villarreal to splurge on those new signings? They should've stuck with their own talent instead of trying to buy success 
...
i'm so happy for gerard moreno!!! 
he's finally broken that two-year drought and proved himself against his old team espnyol 
. u can feel the emotions in the stadium, 1st they're all silent & then suddenly erupts into cheers 
! it's like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders 
. espnyol fans were so cool about it too, they knew he deserved that moment of glory 
villarreal's got some solid signings this season and ayoze perez is on fire 
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. And can we talk about how cool the charity match with rescue dogs on the pitch was? It added a whole new level of heart to the game 
- that's just really cool stuff.
, but like I said, Espanyol fans were just happy to see Moreno succeed in the end. That standing ovation was pretty amazing too 
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. I feel bad for Espanyol fans who had to watch their hero fail them all those times. Glad they gave him a standing ovation in the end 
. That charity match before the game was adorable!
anyway, nice to see him back in form though. Villarreal's squad looks pretty strong this season 