Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze continued his fine form for Villarreal with a brace as the Yellow Submarines sealed a 3-2 comeback win over Real Madrid in Saturday’s La Liga game at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 23-year-old scored Villarreal’s equaliser in the 39th minute with a left-footed strike after Los Blancos had gone ahead in the 16th minute through an own goal from Spanish defender Pau Torres.
Chukwueze beat two Madrid defenders before sending goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois the wrong way.
An incredible performance from the away side and @chukwueze_8 ???? #RealMadridVillarreal #LaLigaSantander pic.twitter.com/tny9EWs6Pi
— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) April 8, 2023
Vinicius Junior restored the home team’s lead inside the first three minutes of the restart with a deft finish from inside the box after beating two Villarreal defenders. The strike was his ninth goal in La Liga, and it took his tally for the season to 21 goals in all competitions.
The Brazilian should have gotten his second of the game minutes later, but his strike from inside the box was just inches wide of Pepe Reina’s goal. On the other end, Algerian defender Aissa Mandi thought he had levelled proceedings with his header, but he was ruled offside by VAR.
Villarreal, however, drew level in the 70th minute thanks to substitute Jose Luis Morales. After fine work from Chukwueze down the right, his low cross into a crowded Madrid box caused some troubles, with Morales scoring on a rebound after his initial strike was blocked.
Ten minutes later, Chukwueze completed Villarreal’s comeback with a stunning left-footed curler from the edge of the box. After a good exchange with Alex Baena on the right, the Nigerian drifted inside before sending a curler past the fully stretched frame of Courtois to help the Yellow Submarines take their first lead of the game.
The Super Eagles winger was substituted to large applause from the travelling crowd in the first minute of second-half stoppage time, a sign of his breathtaking display. The away side withstood Madrid’s late onslaught to hold on for a rare victory at the Bernabeu, their first since 2018 and just the second in 23 La Liga outings in the capital.
Chukwueze’s brace earned him the Man of the Match award, with the goal being his sixth in the league and his 13th across all competitions for Villarreal as he continues to impress this season.
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The lightning @chukwueze_8 is shining for @VillarrealCF in #LaLigaSantander! pic.twitter.com/WEABq2CO4M
— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) April 9, 2023
The victory was Villarreal’s third consecutive in the league, and it takes them to fifth on 47 points, just four points behind Real Sociedad, who occupy the final Champions League spot. The defeat leaves Real Madrid in second, 12 points behind runaway winners Barcelona, who will play Girona on Monday.
