Athletic Bilbao 2 - Villarreal 1

Athletic: Aranzubia; Iraola (Solabarrieta 92'), Gurpegui, Karanka, Del Horno; Tiko, Orbaiz; Etxeberría (César 66'), Yeste (Jonan García 90'), Ezquerro; Urzaiz. 4-2-3-1.
Villarreal: Reina; Javi Venta, Quique Alvarez, Gonzalo Rodríguez, Arruabarrena; Battaglia, Josico (César Arzo 31'); Héctor Font (Cazorla 58'), Riquelme, José Marí; Diego Forlán (Guayre 55'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Athletic: Karanka, Gurpegui, Urzaiz for César, Murillo, Luis Prieto / Villarreal: Arruabarrena for Armando Sá, .

Goals:
1-0. 46. Urzaiz. Controlled Del Horno cross and volleyed shot into roof of net.
2-0. 51. Urzaiz. Latched on to Etxeberría pass and hit deflected shot past Reina.
2-1. 60. José Marí. Lunged forward to head Guayre cross past Aranzubia.

Athletic Bilbao moved away from the bottom spots after beating Villarreal 2-1 in a match which was delayed for a quarter of an hour due to a power cut late in the first half. Before the lights went out Yeste and Riquelme had tested the two keepers from free kicks, but both came out on top and Reina in fact established a new club record of 388 minutes without letting in a goal.

With the second half only a minute old though Athletic took the lead, Del Horno's cross being punched clear by Reina but only as far as Urzaiz, who volleyed a shot back into the top of the net. Referee Puentes Leira had not seen though that Del Horno had run the ball out of play before putting in the cross, and he allowed the goal to stand despite protests from the visitors.

Five minutes later Urzaiz was there again to latch onto Etxeberría's through ball and score his second off the night, his shot taking a slight deflection off Quique Alvarez before going in off the post. Villarreal came back out though, with Riquelme rattling the crossbar from a long free kick, and José Marí pulled one back soon afterwards when he headed Guayre's cross past Aranzubia. But they could do no more, and their challenge ended though when Battaglia was sent off in the final minutes for a high kick on Orbaiz.