Alaves 1-0 Villarreal: Boye's early strike secures narrow home victory in La Liga (full match highlights)

On August 28, 2026, at the Mendizorrotza Stadium in Vitoria, Alaves secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Villarreal in their La Liga Round 3 fixture. Referee Isidro Díaz de Mera Escuderos blew the starting whistle at 22:30 Moscow time. The only goal of the match came in the 31st minute when Lucas Boye fired into the far corner after a pass from Ángel Pérez, beating the Villarreal goalkeeper with a precise low shot to give the hosts all three points. This was the Argentine striker's second goal of the season and proved to be the decisive moment in a tightly contested encounter. The second half became more physical, with the referee showing several yellow cards: Abdé Rebbach was booked in the 48th minute for a foul on a Villarreal midfielder, followed by Nicolas Pépé's yellow in the 86th, Mariano Díaz's booking in the 89th, Antonio Sivera's yellow in the 90+2nd minute, and Renato Veiga's caution in stoppage time. The score remained unchanged until the final whistle. Match statistics: Alaves had 43% possession, registered 11 shots to Villarreal's 14, completed 71% of their passes against Villarreal's 76%, won the corner count 5-4 and committed 13 fouls to Villarreal's 16. This victory lifted Alaves to 5th place with 7 points, while Villarreal dropped to 9th with 4 points. Alaves' manager praised his team's character and resilience in holding onto the win despite the visitors' second-half pressure. He also highlighted that Lucas Boye is in excellent form and his goals are becoming crucial for the team. Villarreal, despite the defeat, created several dangerous chances but failed to convert them, which proved to be the main reason for their disappointment.