Georges Mikautadze, a summer arrival from Ajax, missed a string of clear openings before the break, including three one-on-one situations with goalkeeper Matej Kovar, as Villarreal dominated possession in the final third without reward. PSV, by contrast, created almost nothing in open play, their best moment coming when Ruben van Bommel — starting for the first time in almost a year after a lengthy injury lay-off — supplied a cross that Alassane Pléa narrowly failed to convert.
The breakthrough finally came in the 66th minute, when Mikautadze rounded Kovar to open the scoring after a mistake in the PSV defence. Villarreal doubled their lead six minutes later through Cheikh Tidiane Thiam, who finished a move involving Carlos Romero and Thiago Fernández. Mauro Júnior briefly gave PSV hope with a strike from the edge of the box in the 75th minute, only for substitute Pau Cabanes to restore the two-goal cushion almost immediately, finishing left-footed after a long ball forward from goalkeeper Luiz Júnior.
PSV had the greater share of possession, completing 576 passes to Villarreal's 421, but the visitors were far more incisive in the final third, registering ten big chances to the home side's one and finishing the match with 21 shots to PSV's 13. Peter Bosz replaced Van Bommel with Amir Bouhamdi at half-time as he looked to change PSV's approach, but the pattern of the game barely shifted until the late goal rush.
Three yellow cards were shown in the first half as both sides made an early string of changes, though the closing exchanges passed without further incident. It was a first defeat of the pre-season for PSV, who begin their competitive campaign in Conference League qualifying later this month, while Villarreal head into the new La Liga season on the back of an encouraging away workout under their new head coach.
Line-ups:
PSV: Kovar; Sildillia, Yarek, Flamingo, Mauro Júnior; Veerman, Fernández, Man, Mijnans, Van Bommel; Pléa. Also played: Bouhamdi, Bawuah, Driouech.
Coach: Peter Bosz.
Villarreal: Luiz Júnior; Mouriño, Kambwala, Pau Navarro, Cardona; Nízar, Maciá; Diatta, Moleiro, Ayoze; Mikautadze. Also played: Romero, Gerard, Logan Costa, Thiago Fernández, Cheikh Tidiane Thiam, César Bonafé, Pau Cabanes.
Coach: Iñigo Pérez.
Goals: 0-1 Mikautadze (66'); 0-2 Cheikh Tidiane Thiam (72'); 1-2 Mauro Júnior (75'); 1-3 Pau Cabanes (76').
Referee: Erwin Blank (Netherlands).