Yassir Zabiri made his first appearance in La Liga on Sunday during the 2-2 draw between Racing Santander and Villarreal, which was part of the opening day of the Spanish championship. Starting on the bench, the Moroccan forward came on in the 69th minute for Asier Villalibre and played the last 21 minutes of the match.
The 21-year-old quickly made his presence felt in front of the El Sardinero crowd. From an aerial ball, Zabiri directed a header towards the crossbar, forcing Luiz Júnior into a crucial save. This chance, one of Racing’s best towards the end of the match, could have allowed the Cantabrian club to snatch victory.
Racing had initially taken a two-goal lead thanks to a penalty converted by Andrés Martín in the 20th minute, followed by a remarkable strike from Sergio Martínez in the 33rd. Villarreal, however, responded just before halftime through Pape Gueye, before Nicolas Pépé equalized in stoppage time of the first half.
Zabiri’s debut is all the more encouraging given that his participation was uncertain after he received a knock in training a few days before the match. Loaned by Stade Rennais to gain more playing time, the Moroccan had already found the net in a friendly match against Sporting Gijón.
After this first appearance and a goal-scoring opportunity, Zabiri will now aim to gradually secure his place in Racing’s attack. The next match is set for Sunday, August 23, on the pitch of Getafe, for the second round of La Liga. The match against Villarreal also saw Ilias Akhomach come on in the 76th minute for the Yellow Submarine.
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