Alavés 2 - Villarreal 1

Alavés: Herrera; Lombardi, Coloccini, Karmona, Llorens; Pablo, Turiel (Ibon Begoña 65'); Astudillo, Magno (Mara 53'), Jordi Cruyff (Rubén Navarro 65'); Iván Alonso. 4-2-3-1.
Villarreal: López Vallejo; Xavi Roca (Berruet 63'), Quique Alvarez, Ballesteros, Arruabarrena; Jorge López, Amor (Cagna 75'), Galca, Calleja; Guayre (Quique Martín 75'), Víctor. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Alavés: Lombardi, Turiel, Iván Alonso for Geli, Téllez, Mara / Villarreal: No change.

Goals:
1-0. 25. Llorens. Bent free kick from outside of area into top corner of net.
1-1. 45. Calleja. Shot low wide of keeper after defence failed to clear..
2-1. 67. Coloccini. Scored unmarked in goal area following Pablo free kick.

Alavés moved back into contention for a UEFA cup spot after beating Villarreal 2-1. It was not a very convincing victory however, the Vitoria based side scoring with their only two efforts on goal and their opponents failing to take advantage of numerous scoring opportunities. Mané had to change his defence with Téllez suspended and Geli dropping out of the squad with an injury in training the day before, and he returned to his more normal formation with four at the back. His problems though this season have been in attack where has been having trouble finding a reliable striker, and he gave Iván Alonso a run out up front in an attempt to improve their form at home, having lost four out of the last five games. He needn't have worried though as his defenders have been making up for the lack of fire power up front, and once again both goals came from the back four. Llorens it was who opened the scoring in the first half with a glorious free kick into the top corner of the net, his sixth of the season taking him level with Magno as the club's top scorer. It had been a dull game up to that point, but Villarreal woke up and Víctor brought a good save out of Herrera before Calleja levelled the scores on the stroke of half time, latching on to a loose ball after Coloccini failed to clear to beat the Argentine keeper with a low shot.

After the break the visitors continued their domination looking for their first away win since late September, but they were missing the form that had brought them five goals the week before against Bilbao. With Martín Palermo still injured and Pizzi showing disappointing form, Víctor Muñoz had switched Jorge López to join Víctor up front, and he went close twice, seeing a first effort saved by Herrera and heading a second against the bar. Mané made a double change which proved to be unpopular with the fans, taking off Turiel and Jordi Cruyff to put on Ibon Begoña and Rubén Navarro, but only two minutes later they were in front. And once again it was a defender who did it, Coloccini getting ahead of Ballesteros to turn Pablo's long free kick past a surprised López Vallejo for his second in consecutive games and his sixth of the season. Alavés move back to eighth place, level with Málaga and Athletic Bilbao fighting for that last UEFA spot. Their opponents are back down in the relegation struggle, once again only two points above the bottom three with a difficult programme ahead of them. They did have one good piece of news this week though, with Palermo back in full training and due for a run out in a midweek friendly. Boy do they need him right now.