Denis Cheryshev's goal proved the difference in the first leg of this evening's Copa del Rey round of 16 meeting between Villarreal and Real Sociedad.
The Yellow Submarine ran out 1-0 winners at El Madrigal to stretch their unbeaten run to 12 games, while leaving David Moyes's visiting side with their work cut out ahead of the return meeting next week.
It was Villarreal who had the better of the game's chances, and they deservedly edged ahead on 72 minutes when Russian midfielder Cheryshev tucked the ball into the bottom corner of the net shortly after being introduced from the bench.
Relive Sports Mole's live text coverage of the action below.
Hello an welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Copa del Rey quarter-final first-leg meeting between Villarreal and Real Sociedad at El Madrigal.
The visitors appear to have turned a corner since their crushing 4-0 defeat at the hands of this evening's opponents a month ago, which was best exemplified in their last outing - a memorable victory against Barcelona. Marcelino Garcia's Villarreal side have been on an impressive run of their own of late, going 11 games unbeaten to find themselves in contention for a Champions League spot.
Kickoff is less than 30 minutes away now, so let's begin by taking a look at some team news...
TEAM NEWS!
VILLARREAL STARTING XI: Asenjo, Mario, Gabriel Dorado, J.Costa, Pina, Jona dos Santos, Rukavina, Moi Gomez, Gerard, Giovani
REAL SOCIEDAD STARTING XI: Zubikarai, C.Martinez, Mikel, I.Martinez, Yuri, Markel, Granero, R.Pardo, Xabi Prieto, Hervias, Finnbogason
Before we take a look over the lineups, there's time to bring you some transfer news concerning Villarreal from a little earlier. Cani, who started just five La Liga games for the Yellow Submarine this season, has been loaned to champions Atletico Madrid. One man who is very much involved at the moment, however, is Geovani Dos Santos, as he is the man to lead the line for the hosts this evening.
Marcelino Garcia has opted to change things around a little for this cup tie, with Gerard being handed his first start since victory over Cadiz in the last round. There's some experience between the sticks, though, with Sergio Asenjo making his 21st appearance of the campaign to date.
In terms of the visitors, David Moyes has opted to start with Alfred Finnbogason up top for this one, while there is also a starting berth for former Queens Park Rangers loanee Esteban Granero in the middle of the park. Enaut Zubikarai is trusted in goals, where he will make his first appearance since before the winter break.
Sociedad come into this game having turned a corner somewhat under Moyes. While he has hardly set the world alight since making the move to Spain at the end of last year, the former Manchester United boss has certainly made his mark having led his side to a 1-0 victory over Barcelona last time out.
The Royals' record against the bigger sides in La Liga has been impressive this season, although more still needs to be done to see off the lesser sides in order to climb back up the league table. Moyes will have a chance to do just that with key fixtures against Granada, Rayo Vallecano and Eibar coming up, but tonight is all about one thing - gaining a positive result to take into next week's return leg in order to push on in the Copa del Rey.
Moyes has made it clear that he would love to win a trophy at his new club, and he has a decent chance of doing so in his debut campaign if he can negotiate his way past an in-form Villarreal side.
The Yellow Submarine may have gone 11 games without defeat, although they were held to a 2-2 draw by bottom side Elche on the weekend, which took further wind out of the sails following the three-week winter break. Garcia's charges are still battling on three fronts - La Liga, Copa del Rey and Europa League - meaning that the squad is being pushed to its limit at the moment.
Kickoff at El Madrigal is less than 10 minutes away:
PREVIOUS MEETINGS: These sides have already met in the league this season, and it was in fact Villarreal who inflicted a first Sociedad defeat on Moyes in early December. It was a crushing blow for the Scot, whose side went down 4-0 following a second-half collapse. The omens are not all that bad for the Royals, however, as it was they who knocked this evening's opponents out of this very competition 12 months ago.
DID YOU KNOW? Barcelona, Real Madrid and Valencia are the only three sides to have won a game at El Madrigal since last February. An impressive tally that the Yellow Submarine will be looking to add to with another scalp tonight.
PREDICTION: There's just enough time to offer a prediction ahead of tonight's clash, and on the back of recent results - both before and after the winter break - I'm going to back Moyes's men to pick up a positive result at a notoriously difficult ground this evening. 1-1.
KICKOFF! Villarreal, sporting their all yellow kit this evening, get this round five tie underway.
The hosts have seen a fair amount of the ball in the opening couple of minutes at El Madrigal, but have so far yet to attempt to carve their opponents open.
It's a case of both sides weighing each other up in these early stages. Finnbogason was almost played in for the visitors a few moments ago, but the Villarreal defence were quickly back to cover.
Incidentally, Villarreal reached this stage of the competition by seeing off Cadiz 5-1 on aggregate in the last round, while Sociedad overcame Real Oviedo 2-0 following a goalless first leg.
Sociedad have managed to stick to their task well in the opening 10 minutes in order to keep Villarreal out. They are adding some pressure of their own, too, winning a couple of corners which ultimately came to nothing in the end.
Home supporters are a little disappointed with some of the decisions made by the referee. It has been a frustrating opening for the Yellow Submarine, but still plenty of time to go, of course.
Finnbogasan has been lively thus far, creating problems for the hosts' backline. He's struggled to get going since making the move to Sociedad, scoring just two goals.
YELLOW CARD! Jaume Costa is shown the game's first caution. He is now walking a tightrope for the remaining 75 minutes.
No Carlos Vela for the visiting side, incidentally, he is still recovering from a minor injury and was not likely to be risked for this game.
CHANCE! Moi Gomez gets his head onto a cross inside the box, which ended right in the hands of Zubikarai. Chances have been few and far between so far, but that was a good opening.
SHOT! Poor from Dos Santos. Just as Villarreal up the pressure, the ball falls nicely to the former Tottenham man on the edge of the box, but he looks to loft the ball over Zubikaral instead of placing it. That came just moments after Gomez failed to convert a dangerous cross flashed across the face of goal.
A couple of decent openings for the hosts, then, both coming in quick succession. It is they who are on top at the moment, but the scoreline remains goalless at El Madrigal.
Gerard is the latest player to try his luck, but there's no way through. Villarreal continue to be the stronger side, as you would expect, yet Sociedad have looked to hit their opponents on the break on a couple of occasions.
Moyes will be happy enough with what he has seen so far. Villarreal squandered one great chance when Gomez failed to convert from close range after the ball was fizzed across goal, while Dos Santos also failed to make the most of an opening of his own.
SHOT! Some great work by Rukavina down the right-hand side sees him run into a lot of ground before pulling the ball back for Tomas Pina on the edge of the box, but the Spanish midfielder got his shot horribly wrong and fired well wide of goal in the end.
Villarreal are really taking control of things now as we enter the final 10 minutes of the half. They have been knocking on the door for a while, creating a few half-decent openings, yet they have ultimately been unable to convert.
Moyes will be happy with the scoreline as it stands, but his side are very much second best at the moment...
The home side have played some decent, flowing football in these opening 40 minutes, looking to create moves from the back. I get the sense that a breakthrough goal is going to come shortly.
Sociedad look as though they have withstood the worst of Villarreal's 20-minute spell of pressure, and if they can hold on for the next few minutes we may see a different second half. A goalless draw would be a decent enough result for the Royals heading into a second leg in front of their own supporters.
CHANCE! It's another big chance wasted for Villarreal, who have certainly had the better of this first half. Some positive, one-touch passing culminated in Jonathan dos Santos firing a shot away at goal from inside the box, yet he could not find the target. Fine interplay between Jonathan and Giovani dos Santos.
HALF TIME: VILLARREAL 0-0 REAL SOCIEDAD
A goalless first half at El Madrigal, then, although there is no denying that it is Garcia Toral's men who have had the better of things in the opening 45 minutes.
The final chance of the half fell the way of Jonathan dos Santos, who failed to hit the target with his shot from inside the area following some good build-up play which culminated in Giovani dos Santos picking out his namesake. The former Tottenham striker also had an opportunity of his own earlier in the half which he also wasted, meaning that we go into the break all square.
I'm expecting to see more of the same in the second half in terms of the flow of the game, although Moyes will certainly be hoping to see his side show a little more initiative and create some chances of their own. As already mentioned, they are the underdogs tonight so a draw would by no means be a terrible result, but at this rate they could fall a couple of goals behind.
Elsewhere in the Copa del Rey this evening, city rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are set to kickoff any moment now in a tasty derby clash, while Valencia, Espanyol, Almeria and Getafe also face off. Updates from each game will be provided throughout the course of the night.
SECOND HALF UNDERWAY! Here we go, then, as Sociedad get proceedings back underway at El Madrigal. A big 45 minutes in this two-legged tie awaits.
A positive start from the White and Blues, who are looking to attack in the opening stages of this second half. Moyes has clearly had a a few words to say (via a translator, presumably...) to his players at the interval.
What has been very noticeable over the last few moments is Sociedad's insistence on pressing high up the pitch, giving their opponents little time on the ball. It is working, too, because the Royals have looked better since the restart.
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Valencia are the only three sides to have tasted victory at this ground since last February, remember, so if Moyes's men can snatch a goal it really would be a huge result for the Scottish boss.
SHOT! Gomez opts to take range from around 25 yards out, lashing the ball well over the target. There's signs that Villarreal are beginning to take control of the game once more, as a second attack just moments later sees Rukavina strike the ball into the side-netting.
It looks as though Villarreal are going to make a change in the next couple of minutes, which could be down to frustration growing into the camp. They are just unable to find a way through at the moment.
REAL SOCIEDAD SUBSTITUTION: Imanol Aggirretze has been introduced in place of Finnbogason, as Moyes attempts to alter things slightly in attack.
REAL SOCIEDAD SUBSTITUTION: Sergio Canales has also entered the fray with Pablo Hervais heading off.
VILLARREAL SUBSTITUTIONS: The hosts now make a double change, introducing Bruno and Cherysev in place of Jonathan and Rukavina. The two departing players had been involved a fair bit in the opening hour, but Toral clearly felt as though a change was needed.
Maybe the game can found some sort of rhythm now following a slow opening 15 minutes to the second half. Substitute Bruno looked to make an impact with one of his first touches after being brought on, although he could not get the better of Zubikarai.
CLOSE! Gerard almost capitalises on some slack defending at the back, firing a shot right across goal which had Zubikarai just a little worried.
The return leg for this fixture takes place next week at Anoeta, with a place in the final eight up for grabs for the victor. It is still finely balanced as things stand, yet with 22 minutes to play here tonight, it looks as though Villarreal could take a slender lead into that match.
GOAL! VILLARREAL 1-0 REAL SOCIEDAD (CHERYSHEV)
We finally have a breakthrough goal, and although they haven't been as dominant in this second half, you have to say that is well deserved for Villarreal. It was substitute Denis Cheryshev who bagged it, placing the ball beyond Zubikarai with a clinical finish from a fairly tight angle inside the area.
The ball through to him was nice, but the finish was even better. The game needed a goal, and now that we have it it will be interesting to see what Moyes opts to do - stick or twist?
VILLARREAL SUBSTITUTION: A final roll of the dice for Toral, who brings on Vieto in place of Giovani Dos Santos.
It is the Yellow Submarine who look more likely to add the game's second goal at the moment, as they continue to peg the opposition back. Their unbeaten run looks set to stretch to 12 games.
YELLOW CARD! Yuri Berchiche is shown a yellow card to even up the scoring in that department.
REAL SOCIEDAD SUBSTITUTION: Gorka Elustondo is brought on, with Markel being hauled off. A little under 10 minutes for Villarreal to add to their scoring, or can Sociedad level things up against the run of play?
Here's another look at that Cheryshev strike which separates the two sides late on...
[On this PAGE an item was removed from that AMP version click for the full mobile version.]
UPDATE: Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are still goalless in their meeting at the Vicentre Calderon this evening, with half time just a couple of minutes away. Meanwhile, at El Madrigal it is the same story as Villarreal continue to look the better side in the closing stages.
Sociedad don't look too keen to push bodies forward, almost as it they are resigned to defeat. Villarreal have been good value for their lead as we head into the final couple of minutes, but they will kick themselves if they fail to progress through because they could have had more tonight.
Gomez has been lively all night and it is his slalom run into the box which earns his side a corner. The Yellow Submarine were unable to capitalise, however, and that could be that in terms of chances.
FULL TIME: VILLARREAL 1-0 REAL SOCIEDAD
There we have it, as the referee brings the game to a close. It was not exactly the liveliest of matches, but in the end the right team won with Villarreal taking a one-goal lead into next week's second leg.
Be sure to stick around on Sports Mole as we continue our live coverage of this evening's Copa del Rey action, with Valencia vs. Espanyol next up in a few minutes' time.
