Villarreal 3 - Osasuna 0

Villarreal: López Vallejo; Xavi Roca, Unai, Quique Alvarez, Arruabarrena; Jorge López (Gracia 87'), Galca, Amor, Calleja (Guayre 75'); Víctor (Craioveanu 85'), Palermo. 4-4-2.
Osasuna: Unzué; Cruchaga, Yanguas, Jusué, Rivero (Izquierdo 65'); Puñal (Sabino 65'), Lekumberri; Palacios (Armentano 65'), Gancedo, Montenegro; Iván Rosado. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Villarreal: Xavi Roca, Palermo for Galván, Craioveanu / Osasuna: Palacios for Iban Pérez.

Goals:
1-0. 05. Víctor (penalty). After Cruchaga ruled to have pulled dowm Palermo.
2-0. 51. Jorge López. Shot low into net after Palermo jumped over cross from left.
3-0. 92. Palermo. Following up after Unzué blocked Craioveanu's angled shot.

Villarreal started where they left off last season, winning their second match to move up with the early leaders. Flamboyant striker Martín Palermo came in to the side and had a hand in all three goals, making two and scoring the third himself from close range in injury time. Villarreal took the lead in the fifth minute from the penalty spot when referee Pino Zamorano, making his debut in the first division, took the advice of his linesman to award a dubious penalty for a foul by Cruchaga on Palermo. Then Jorge López, the home side's most on-form player, added the second early in the second half after Palermo had dummied over the ball.

Osasuna manager Miguel Angel Lotina made a desperate triple substitution a few minutes later but his side were ineffective against an orderly defence, and when they did get a chance their forwards were off target. Sabino got himself in to an argument with Pino Zamorano in the last minute and was given a yellow and then a red card, and was reported after the match for bad language after he had been sent off. Palermo finished things off a minute later and danced delightedly in front of his fans. For one hour his team were top of the table, and their dream of reaching Europe is very much alive. Osasuna though have some thinking to do, and having let in six and failed to score in their first two games, they may be active in the transfer market this week.