Villarreal CF 2–3 Sevilla FC | La Liga | 14 May 2026

Sevilla FC rallied from a goal down to claim a thrilling 3‑2 victory away at Villarreal CF, keeping their push for a top‑four finish firmly alive. In an end‑to‑end contest at the Estadio de la Cerámica, the visitors showed character to overturn a 1‑0 deficit and score twice in the second half to secure all three points.

First‑half action

Villarreal started brightly and took the lead after just 11 minutes. Winger Yeremy Pino cut inside from the left and curled a beautiful shot into the top corner past Sevilla goalkeeper Marko Dmitrović. The home side continued to press, but Sevilla equalised in the 34th minute through defender Loïc Badé, who rose highest to meet a corner from Óliver Torres and powered a header into the net.

Second‑half drama

The match swung Sevilla’s way early in the second half. In the 51st minute, striker Rafa Mir latched onto a through‑ball from Ivan Rakitić and finished calmly to make it 2‑1. Villarreal responded almost immediately: substitute Álex Baena delivered a free kick that was headed home by centre‑back Pau Torres in the 63rd minute, levelling at 2‑2. With the game looking destined for a draw, Sevilla struck again in the 79th minute when winger Suso collected a pass from Jesús Navas, cut inside, and unleashed a low drive that deflected off a Villarreal defender and into the net.

Tactical story

Both teams played open, attacking football. Villarreal’s 4‑3‑3 allowed their wingers to isolate Sevilla’s full‑backs, while Sevilla’s 4‑2‑3‑1 gave Rakitić and Torres control in central areas. The key difference was Sevilla’s efficiency in transition: they created four big chances to Villarreal’s two and were more clinical in the final third.

Standout performers

• Loïc Badé – scored the equaliser and was solid defensively.
• Ivan Rakitić – dictated play from midfield and provided the assist for Mir’s goal.
• Suso – scored the winner with a moment of individual brilliance.

Impact on the table

Sevilla’s win lifted them to 5th place, just two points behind Atlético Madrid in 4th. Villarreal dropped to 12th, now seven points adrift of European qualification places. The result keeps the race for Champions League spots wide open heading into the final five matchdays.