Villarreal scramble for 3-3 draw with Spartak Moscow

Villarreal led on two separate occasions in a Europa League football match with Spartak Moscow, but still needed a penalty deep into stoppage time to secure a 3-3 draw.

On Thursday, the hosts made a bright start and the visitors' first foray into the Spartak end came in the 10th minute, yet it was the Spanish club who opened the scoring with a goal in the 13th by Karl Toko Ekambi, reports Efe.

With Spartak dazed after conceding, Villarreal gradually fell back, which had the effect of giving the home side time and space to regroup.

Roman Zobnin tested Villarreal keeper Andres Fernandez with a shot from distance after the half-hour mark and an inadvertent hand ball by Sansone on the ensuing sequence resulted in a penalty, allowing Ze Luis to equalise for Spartak in the 34th minute.

Villarreal started the second half with a burst of energy, regaining the lead in the 49th minute on a goal by Pablo Fornals.

The hosts appeared to have pulled level when Ze Luis connected on a header, but the goal was disallowed for an offside, while Spartak's Hanni hit the post.

But Hanni made it up for the lost chance in the 82nd minute with a fine cross that Ze converted to knot the score at 2-2.

And it was a rebound off a Hanni strike that set up Lorenzo Malgarejo's go-ahead goal in the 85th.

Spartak were leading 3-2 in the 95th minute when the referee awarded Villarreal a penalty for a rough tackle of Funes Mori. The veteran Santi Cazorla stepped to the spot and converted to grab a point for the Spanish side.

--IANS

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