Europa League

Viktoria Plsen 3 - Villarreal 3

Plsen: Bolek; Mateju, Baranek, Hejda, Limbersky; Horava, Kucera (Prochazka 88‘); Kopic (Petrzela 83’), Kolar, Kovaric; Holenda (Mahmutovic 71’). 4-2-3-1.
Villarreal: Barbosa; Rukavina, Musacchio, Víctor Ruíz, Jokic (Adrián Marín 43’); Samuel (Jonathan Dos Santos 56‘), Manu Trigueros, Bruno, Samu Castillejo (Denis Suárez 72‘); Soldado, Bakambu. 4-4-2.

Goals:
1-0. 08. Kolar (penalty). After Jokic fouled Kopic inside the penalty area.
1-1. 40. Bakambu. Picked up Soldado pass and rounded keeper to score.
1-2. 62. Jonathan Dos Santos. Fired angled shot over keeper following corner.
2-2. 65. Kovaric. Steered header wide of Barbosa from Kopic’s centre.
3-2. 92. Horava. Struck long shot past keeper after Kolar laid ball back.
3-3. 94. Bruno. Controlled Denis Suárez centre and turned shot under Bolek.

Villarreal came into their last group game vying for top spot of group E with Rapid Vienna, but in the end they had to accept the runners-up place after they were held to a 3-3 draw at Viktoria Plsen, and the Austrians won their tie against Dinamo Minsk. The Czech side only had pride left to play for, but as the fog closed in they went ahead with an early Kolar penalty after Jokic probably fouled Kopic in the area (or could have been a hand ball in the play too?). Bakambu ran on to Soldado headed pass though to round Bolek and level the scores before the break, and the striker missed another chance before Jonathan Dos Santos curled a shot over the keeper after his own corner came back out to him with just over an hour gone. An unmarked Kovarik made it all square again though with a header from Kopic’s cross, and although Denis Suárez could have scored again for the visitors, Horava put the hosts back in front, beating Barbosa with a shot from the edge of the area. Bruno did equalize for a third time after controlling a Suárez centre in injury time, but it was not enough on the night.