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Villarreal beat Young Boys to end long Champions League drought

Eurasia Sport Images / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Bern, Switzerland, Oct 20, 2021 (AFP) - Yeremi Pino and Gerard Moreno scored as Villarreal defeated Young Boys 4-1 in Switzerland on Wednesday to record their first Champions League group stage victory in 13 years.

Pino celebrated his 19th birthday by heading Villarreal ahead on six minutes at the Wankdorf Stadium and Gerard Moreno nodded in a second from a free-kick on the quarter-hour for Unai Emery's team.

Young Boys midfielder Michel Aebischer smacked the post from 20 yards, while Alfonso Pedraza rattled the crossbar for Villarreal early in the second half.

Meschack Elia clawed a goal back for Young Boys but late strikes from Alberto Moreno and Samuel Chukwueze sealed Villarreal's first win in the competition since they reached the 2008/09 quarter-finals.

After picking up just one point from their opening two matches in Group F, Villarreal rose from last place to second behind Manchester United, who beat Atalanta 3-2 at Old Trafford.

Young Boys began the competition with a shock home win over 10-man United, but David Wagner's side fell to the bottom of the group following a second straight loss.

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