Villarreal 0 - Numancia 0

Villarreal: López Vallejo, Galván, Quique Medina, Unai, Arruabarrena; Jorge López, Amor (Javier Gracia 65'), Cagna, Gaitán (Calleja 60'); Víctor, Bruno Marioni (Moisés 60'). 4-4-2.
Numancia: Alvaro Nuñez; Jaume, Muñiz, Gustavo, Octavio; Manel, Nagore, Caco Morán (Marini 82'), David Pirri (Pacheta 90'); Chispa Delgado (Iñaki 75'), Rubén Navarro. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Villarreal: Quique Medina, Amor for Quique Álvarez, Gracia / Numancia: Muñiz, Octavio, Caco Morán, Chispa Delgado for Iñaki, Rosu, Marini, Ojeda.

Goals: None.

Numancia's new manager, Mariano García Remón, got his first point in his first match in charge following the dismissal of Paco Herrera last week. García Remón made four changes from Herrera's side, bringing back Muñiz and Octavio in defence, and giving a start to two players who the old manager did not count on, Caco Morán and Chispa Delgado. They were up against a Villarreal side who had gone off the boil since their victory in the Nou Camp a couple of games ago, having lost their last two matches against Real Madrid and Mallorca. Amor came back in to the starting line up following a one match suspension (but only after passing a late fitness test), and Galván kept his place after his red card last week was downgraded to a yellow by the appeal committee. Quique Alvarez was not so lucky however, and he had to sit this one out.

Villarreal had by far the better of the first half, but they could not get the final touch they needed to score. Nuñez saved from Jorge López, Unai and then Víctor, and the striker failed to get on the end of a superb cross from Arruabarrena. At the other end, Rubén Navarro came close to scoring on a couple of occasions. After the break Numancia started to believe they could win the game, and only López Vallejo stood between them and victory, saving from Chispa Delgado and Manel early in the half. Víctor Muñoz made three changes on the hour mark, but this was the keepers' day, and the match ended without goals. For the time being Numancia keep their heads just out of the relegation zone, in seventeenth place, just above Real Sociedad on goal average. Next week García Remón's team has a golden opportunity to climb up a place or two, at home against the team just above them in the league, Zaragoza. Villarreal stay up in thirteenth, but they have to sort out their act at home, having only won two of their seven games at the Madrigal stadium.