Europa League

Villarreal 1 – Rapid Vienna 0

Villarreal: Barbosa; Rukavina, Mario Gaspar, Víctor Ruíz, Jaume Costa; Samu Castillejo (Nahuel 83‘), Jonathan Dos Santos (Manu Trigueros 73‘), Bruno, Denis Suárez; Soldado, Bakambu (Samuel 52‘). 4-4-2.
Rapid: Novota (Strebinger 61‘); Pavelic, Sonnleitner, Dibon (Maximilian Hofmann 06‘), Stangl; Schwab, Petsos; Schobesberger, Steffen Hofmann, Kainz; Prosenik (Jelic 86‘). 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
1-0. 78. Bruno. Steered shot wide of Strebinger after Suárez corner fell to him.

Villarreal beat Rapid Vienna 1-0 on Thursday evening to move above the Austrians to the top of their mini-league. A win by Dinamo Minsk against Viktoria Plsen in the other group match earlier in the afternoon meant that both teams were already sure of qualifying. However Rapid came into the game with four wins out of four, and they held their own in the first half, the only chances for the locals efforts late on by Bakambu and Soldado which failed to find the target. After the interval Soldado fired a couple of shots wide and then turned a ball against the post after Novota pushed out a dangerous cross, and with twelve minutes to go Bruno finally found a way through, steering a shot past Strebinger (who had replaced the injured Novota) after a Denis Suárez corner came to him off Mario and Jonathan Dos Santos. That gave Villarreal the head-to-head advantage over their opponents, and a win in Plsen in a fortnight’s time will ensure them first place in their group.