Aubameyang's two assists and winner fire reborn Super Dépor past Villarreal

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang proved to be the undisputed star of the show once again for Deportivo A Coruña. The 37-year-old Gabonese striker contributed two assists and scored the decisive goal in a 2-3 away victory at Villarreal's Estadio de la Cerámica. Antonio Hidalgo's side remains unbeaten and firmly established in the top five of LaLiga following this result.

• Aubameyang recorded two assists and scored the dramatic late winner against Villarreal.
• The striker has now scored in his first four consecutive games for Dépor, breaking Bebeto's record from 1992.
• The reborn 'Super Dépor' are inside the European places and yet to taste defeat this season.
• Deadline-day arrivals José María Giménez and Marc Casadó made immediate impacts on their debuts.
• At just 21, Bil Nsongo has become the ideal attacking partner for the veteran Aubameyang.

Aubameyang breaks Bebeto's record on glorious LaLiga return

Saturday night was the culmination of a perfect week for the forward. After 89 minutes and two assists, Aubameyang capitalized on a misplaced pass from Villarreal substitute Ilias Akhomach to race clear and slot the ball past Luiz Júnior. It was the final touch on a performance where he had already established himself as the best player on the pitch.

The goal maintains a remarkable streak: he has scored in every single one of his first four league appearances. The run began with a stunning touch and finish against Elche, continued by rounding the Málaga goalkeeper to open the scoring, followed by chipping the Valencia keeper after burning past the defenders, and has now been capped off with the clinical strike at Villarreal. This start surpasses Bebeto's record from 1992, when the Brazilian legend started his Dépor career with three consecutive scoring games.

The rebirth of Super Dépor: investment, ambition and signings

Deportivo appear to have rediscovered the magic of the famous team that dominated Spanish football at the turn of the century. That squad, inspired by Djalminha, Roy Makaay and Bebeto, won La Liga in 2000, the Copa del Rey in 2002, and reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2004. After years of financial hardship and relegations in 2011, 2013 and 2018, the club has finally returned to the top flight after eight seasons away.

This stability has come largely through the control of Galician bank Abanca, which has been the majority shareholder since 2020 and now owns 99.99% of the club. This season, the board has made an unprecedented financial commitment: only Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and Real Betis have outspent Deportivo in the transfer market.

Giménez and Casadó: high-profile loan deals make instant impact

The two marquee deadline-day arrivals were the loan signings of José María Giménez from Atlético Madrid and Marc Casadó from Barcelona. Both two-time La Liga champions, they brought an immediate lift in quality. Dépor's first equalizer came directly from a Giménez surge out of defense, sliding a pass into the channel for Aubameyang, who assisted Luismi Cruz to finish first time.

The arrivals have sparked serious excitement among fans dreaming of a return to Europe. During his presentation, Casadó offered a genuine compliment after a tour of the training facilities: "It's better than Barça," he stated matter-of-factly, before quickly adding, "Seriously." It highlighted the massive investment made in infrastructure across the club.

The Aubameyang-Nsongo partnership: combining youth and experience

Many fans feared that the arrival of Aubameyang would halt the progress of Bil Nsongo, the young Cameroonian striker who was key to their promotion push. The reality is quite the opposite. Antonio Hidalgo has found a way to play them together, forming a lethal attacking duo despite a 16-year age gap between the pair.

Nsongo, scouted while playing for Canon Yaoundé in his native Cameroon, insisted on staying in A Coruña when his B-team contract was not initially renewed. The club ultimately relented and is now reaping the benefits of a striker who has won over the fans. The second equalizer came from a different source, however, with Zakaria Eddahchouri firing home at the near post after a weighted pass from Aubameyang. The Dutchman, who once had to be rescued by firefighters after falling from a cliff while taking a selfie, now has his first top-flight goal.

Adama Traoré's bizarre own goal on his debut from the bench

It wasn't all plain sailing for Dépor. Villarreal took the lead in the first half through former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pépé. The team coached by Iñigo Pérez, still looking for his first win since joining from Rayo Vallecano, regained the lead in the 76th minute. After joining on a free transfer following a conversation with his former Barcelona teammate Aubameyang, Adama Traoré made his debut as a wing-back from the bench. The Spanish international produced a comical moment, attempting to recover his position but inadvertently looping a header over his own goalkeeper to gift Villarreal the lead.

Hidalgo keeps his feet on the ground despite European ambition

Despite the euphoria, manager Antonio Hidalgo is refusing to get carried away. "The table that tells you where you're at is the one on the final day of the season – now it's just for looking at," he said after the match. He was, however, full of praise for his star striker: "He has a special talent, but you should see him train, how involved he is, how it rubs off on his teammates. His smile is infectious."

With this victory, 'Super Dépor' are breathing down the necks of the Champions League places. The next target is the club record of scoring in seven consecutive league matches, jointly held by Lucas Pérez and Bebeto. Given Aubameyang's current form, the fans at Riazor have every reason to believe that record is within reach.