Chukwueze scores on Champions League debut as Villarreal defeat Young Boys
Villarreal pick up first Champions League win since 2009
Samuel Chukwueze scored with his first touch to help Villarreal defeat Young Boys 4-1 in their UEFA Champions League Group F encounter and their qualification bid for the knockout stages back on track.
Villarreal quickly went in front as teenage Spanish forward Yeremy Pino opened the scoring after only six minutes. The youngster stole in at the far post to head home a deep cross from Alfonso Pedraza and give the visitors the lead.
Villarreal soon got themselves a second only ten minutes later through Ballon d’Or nominee Gerard Moreno. The Spanish forward rose highest to head home a freekick from Dani Parejo and put the Yellow Submarines comfortably ahead in the 16th minute.
Young Boys raised their tempo in the second half and pinned Villarreal back, threatening with every attack and forcing goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli into a number of impressive saves before they finally pulled one back.
Congolese forward Meschak Elia latched onto a pass from Fabian Rieder before hammering an effort past Rulli to halve the deficit for the home side in the 77th minute of the encounter.
With time running out, Villarreal pulled clear of their opponents with only two minutes of normal time left in the match. Alberto Moreno led a quick counterattack after Young Boys streamed forward in search of an equaliser. The Spanish fullback fed namesake Gerard, whose shot was saved by the goalkeeper before Alberto Moreno swept home the rebound to give the visitors a comfortable lead after 88 minutes.
Villarreal manager Unai Emery continued to ease Chukwueze on after his five-month long injury and introduced the Nigerian in place of Arnaut Danjuma for the second successive game after 89 minutes.
The Nigerian was left unmarked in the box as Gerard Moreno fed him a pinpoint pass, and he just placed an effort expertly beyond the goalkeeper from inside the box with his first touch of the ball in the 92nd minute to make it 4-1 to the Spanish side.
Chukwueze marked his first-ever UEFA Champions League appearance with a goal to help Villarreal defeat Young Boys and pick up their first win in the UEFA Champions League since 2009.
The Yellow Submarine have now picked up four points in the Champions League this season, leaving them two points adrift of Manchester United, who was the group after a late win over Atalanta.
