MADRID: Villarreal’s star striker Gerard Moreno could miss the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Liverpool after he scored and then went off injured in a 2-1 win over Getafe on Saturday.

Moreno scored one goal and then made another against Getafe before being substituted in the second half, with a reported injury to his right hamstring.

The 30-year-old will undergo tests to diagnose the extent of the problem. Villarreal have 10 days before they play the first leg against Liverpool at Anfield.

Villarreal claimed victory against a Getafe side trying to secure survival in Spain’s top flight.

Despite their Champions League heroics, Emery’s team are adrift of the European qualification places, with this win taking them six points behind Real Sociedad in sixth.

Villarreal took the lead in the seventh minute through Moreno after Manu Trigueros’ long ball over the top found Paco Alcacer, who passed across for Moreno to send a deflected finish in.

Nine minutes later, the visitors doubled their advantage after this time Moreno slipped in Trigueros, who guided a smart finish into the far corner.

Enes Unal pulled one back for Getafe shortly after the hour mark and Unal wanted a penalty late on after a clumsy challenge from Aissa Mandi. Villarreal, though, survived to leave Getafe 15th, four points above the bottom three.

Earlier, Valencia suffered defeat at home to Osasuna, whose 2-1 win at Mestalla sees them leapfrog their opponents into ninth. Also Elche extended their winning streak to five games at home with their 3-0 win against Mallorca while Deportivo Alaves edged out Rayo Vallecano 1-0, thanks to a goal by Joselu in the 64 min.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2022