Villarreal 4 - Espanyol 1

Villarreal: Reina; Javi Venta, Quique Alvarez, Gonzalo Rodríguez, Arruabarrena; Marcos Senna, Josico; Guayre (Figueroa 46'), Riquelme (Héctor Font 86'), Sorín (Cazorla 75'); Diego Forlán. 4-2-3-1.
Espanyol: Kameni; Ibarra, Lopo, Soldevilla, David García; Maxi, Jarque, Ito (Corominas 63'), Oscar Serrano (De la Peña 73'); Dani, Tamudo. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Villarreal: Quique Alvarez, Guayre, Sorín for Peña, Cazorla, José Marí / Espanyol: Jarque, Oscar Serrano, Tamudo for Fredson, Amavisca, Jonathan.

Goals:
1-0. 25. Diego Forlán. Picked up cross-field pass and fired shot past Kameni.
1-1. 29. Lopo. Dived forward to head Oscar Serrano cross into corner of net.
2-1. 49. Sorín. Got on end of Forlán cross to head over Kameni from left of goal.
3-1. 56. Riquelme (penalty). After Kameni brought down Forlán in area.
4-1. 82. Figueroa. Picked up Cazorla corner and hit shot on turn past keeper.

Villarreal moved up to third place and closed up to within seven points of Real Madrid after thrashing last week's third placed team Espanyol 4-1. It was a great performance by Pellegrini's side, who had returned from a frustrating trip to Romania a few days before after their UEFA cup tie was called off, and they must now have their eyes on that second spot which gives direct access to the Champions League.

Marcos Senna sent an early warning to the visitors with a shot which Kameni just managed to tip on to the post, and a few minutes later Diego Forlán picked up a loose ball after the defence failed to clear a Riquelme cross to score his seventeenth goal of the season. Lopo headed an equaliser four minutes later, and Reina had to be at his best to keep out Tamudo before the break. But Kameni was also put under pressure by a Riquelme free kick, and within minutes of the restart Sorín restored the lead when he headed Forlán's cross over the keeper.

Riquelme added a third from the penalty spot after Kameni brought down Forlán, but again Reina did well to keep out Tamudo at the other end soon afterwards. Lotina risked throwing on De la Peña, still not fully fit after an injury, but with the visitors throwing everything forward, Figueroa completed the rout with a fourth goal late on. The "yellow submarine" are on route for a direct place in Europe, and for once it looks like they won't need to enter the Intertoto Cup to qualify.