Alaves and Villarreal shared the points in a tight La Liga clash, with the visitors snatching a late equalizer. The home side took the lead in the 40th minute through an own goal, but Villarreal's Nicolas Pepe scored in stoppage time to salvage a point.

Alaves' defensive solidity was on full display, as they limited Villarreal to just 4 shots on target despite conceding 52% of possession. However, their inability to capitalize on their counterattacking opportunities ultimately cost them the victory. Alaves managed only 2 shots on target and failed to register a single goal from open play.

Villarreal's tactical shift in the second half, which saw them introduce attacking substitutes Trevoh Buchanan and Goncalo Moreno, paid dividends. The visitors increased their presence in the final third, forcing Alaves to sit deeper and defend for long stretches. Pepe's late equalizer was a deserved reward for Villarreal's perseverance, as they registered an expected goals (xG) of 0.59 compared to Alaves' 0.22.

The key factor that allowed Villarreal to snatch a point was their superior passing accuracy. The away side completed 83% of their passes, compared to Alaves' 77%, enabling them to maintain control of the game and create more meaningful scoring opportunities.