Villarreal match historic low as defensive woes leave Inigo Perez’s side languishing in La Liga relegation zone

Gerard Moreno put the hosts ahead after 29 minutes during Monday night's La Liga matchday five fixture, before quickfire strikes from Cucho Hernandez and Natan turned the contest around before the break. That 2-1 defeat marked Villarreal's third league loss of the campaign, leaving them stuck in 18th place with just two points on the board. Shipping 10 goals in their opening five fixtures matches the club's worst defensive start to a season, previously recorded during the 2023-24 campaign, as confirmed by Marca.

Speaking after the match at the Estadio de la Ceramica, head coach Perez highlighted his side's fragile mentality after they unravelled immediately upon conceding the equaliser. Assessing his team's second-half decline, Perez said: "Up until Betis scored, the game was unfolding exactly as we had imagined. The moment we conceded, the same thing happened to us as against Depor.

"The second half was damaging for the team and for me as a coach. It affects our confidence and self-belief. Recovering from defeat is never easy, but it's even harder when you come away with these feelings. Nevertheless, we have no option but to move forward."

The Navarrese tactician stressed that deep tactical analysis is immediately required to meet the high standards expected by the club's supporters.

Emphasising his determination to reverse the slump, Perez added: "We're not managing to give our supporters what we want to give them and what they deserve. We won't sleep well tonight. We're extremely disappointed. Tomorrow we have to regain our enthusiasm, analyse the game and work on improving so that we can find the level we're looking for."

He continued: "Our idea is clear and we've shown it in phases during several matches, but I need to analyse everything very carefully to see what we must change in order to overcome this difficult spell."

Perez's men, who finished third in La Liga under Marcelino last term to seal their Champions League return, must swiftly regroup ahead of Thursday's trip to Malaga. Another demanding test follows three days later when they host Levante before domestic action pauses for the international break. The coaching staff face an urgent race to restore defensive stability before the gap to mid-table widens significantly.