Villarreal 1 - Real Sociedad 0

Villarreal: López Vallejo; Xavi Roca, Unai, Quique Alvarez, Arruabarrena; Jorge López (Cagna 84'), Galca, Amor (Guayre 73'), Quique Martín (Calleja 62'); Víctor, Palermo. 4-4-2.
Real Sociedad: Alberto; Kvarme, Loren, Luiz Alberto; López Rekarte, Aranburu (Alejandro 87'), Khokhlov, Idiakez, Aranzábal; De Paula (Pikabea 85'), Demetradze (Barkero 50'). 3-5-2.

Team changes: Villarreal: Quique Martín for Calleja / Real: De Paula for Tayfun.

Goals:
1-0. 86. Palermo. Header down past keeper after cross looped in air off Loren.

Villarreal ended the weekend in the fourth Champions League spot only a point behind the leaders after their third victory of the season. The match was delayed by 45 minutes due to a torrential rainstorm which left pools of water on the ground and made conditions almost unplayable early on. The home side were lucky not to lose Quique Alvarez in the first minute when he brought down Khokhlov, referee Llonch Andreu only showing him a yellow card, but after that Villarreal weathered the conditions better, bringing good saves out of Alberto from a Unai free kick and a couple of efforts from Víctor.

Manager Víctor Muñoz brought on Diego Cagna late in the second half, his first appearance in almost six months after a long injury, and only a couple of minutes later his side got the only goal of the game, the unmarked Palermo having time to place his header down past Alberto after Xavi Roca's cross deflected up off Loren. John Toshack's team almost snatched a point though when López Vallejo had to make the best save of the night from an Idiakez header, which was the visitors' first real attempt at goal. It would not have been fair though, and Toshack has some work to do with his team once again down at the bottom of the table with one point in four games.