La Liga: Nicolas Pépé sets up only goal in Villarreal victory

Nicolas Pépé helped inconsistent Villarreal return to winning ways on Wednesday with a clever assist to set up Georges Mikautadze for the only goal of the match in a 1-0 La Liga victory over Levante.

The Ivorian’s creativity proved to be the crucial spark to help The Yellow Submarine move into third place on the league table. While the visitors dominated, it appeared that they might not find their reward against the relegation fighters.

However, it was Pépé who thrived under pressure. In the 56th minute, with apparently limited options as defenders closed in, the former Arsenal player produced a magical ball over the top of the Levante defense to find the run of the Georgian forward, who did the rest to beat goalkeeper Mathew Ryan.

FT: #LevanteUDVillarreal 0-1@VillarrealCFen’s determination earns them a hard-fought victory! ⚔️#LALIGAEASPORTS pic.twitter.com/aHBQazngNT

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) February 18, 2026

Now victorious against a regional rival, the three points provide a boost to a club that has struggled in 2026. The 2020-21 UEFA Europa League champions are now three points ahead of Atletico Madrid in the race for third place behind title contenders Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Pépé now has three assists and one goal from ten matches in 2026 since he was overlooked by Ivory Coast national team head coach Emerse Faé for the team that went to Morocco for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. He now has 3 goals and 4 assists in 32 matches across all competitions this season.