UEFA Europa League

Villarreal 4 - Lazio 1

Villarreal: Diego López (Oliva 51'); Angel, Gonzalo, Godín, Capdevila; Cani, Bruno, Eguren, Pires (Rossi 77'); Nilmar, Llorente (Marcano 57'). 4-4-2.
Lazio: Bizzarri; Lichtsteiner, Siviglia (Kolarov 53'), Diakité, Radu; Eliseu, Mauri, Baronio, Perpetuini (Zárate 53'); Rocchi (Makinwa 63'), Foggia. 4-4-2.

Goals:
1-0. 02. Pires. Long free kick which bounced past everyone in to net.
2-0. 13. Cani. Picked up Pires pass and struck angled shot past Bizzarri.
3-0. 15. Pires (penalty). After Diakité held back Nilmar inside area.
3-1. 73. Zárate. Turned angled shot past Oliva after Foggia laid ball across.
4-1. 83. Rossi (penalty). After Cani brought down by Mauri inside area.

Villarreal confirmed their return to form with a 4-1 win over Lazio. Within a quarter of an hour they were already three up, Pires starting things off with a long free kick which nobody managed to touch. A minute later the visitors were left with ten men when Baronio was sent off after he caught Llorente with his arm, and Cani added a second after Pires set him up a few minutes later. The third came from the penalty spot, Pires converting the kick after Diakité fouled Nilmar, and the game appeared to be already over.

Numbers were evened up though when Gonzalo was sent off for giving away a penalty on Rocchi on the half hour mark, the third red card the defender has been shown this season. But Foggia fired his penalty kick against the bar, and Villarreal were let off the hook. Injuries to Diego López and Llorente after the restart forced Valverde to change his plans, and substitute Zárate got one back for the Italians. But with seven minutes to go Rossi converted another penalty for the home side, giving them head-to-head advantage over their opponents in the case of a tie in the table at the end of the qualifying round.