Villarreal 1 - Betis 2

Villarreal: Viera; Josemi, Quique Alvarez, Gonzalo Rodríguez, Arruabarrena; Marcos Senna (Sorín 60'), Josico; Cazorla (Héctor Font 54'), Guille Franco, Riquelme; Diego Forlán. 4-2-3-1.
Betis: Contreras; Varela, Melli, Rivas, Luis Fernández (Nano 86'); Arzu (Castellini 75'), Rivera; Joaquín, Edu, Xisco (Marcos Assunçao 54'); Robert. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Villarreal: Cazorla, Guille Franco for Tacchinardi, José Marí / Betis: Rivera, Xisco, Robert for Juanito, Marcos Assunçao, Dani.

Goals:
0-1. 11. Robert. Got ahead of marker to head Edu cross wide of Viera.
0-2. 23. Robert. Won ball off Alvarez and ran on to shoot in to roof of net.
1-2. 79. Sorín. Header from Riquelme's cross down past Contreras.

Struggling Betis picked up an important three points against a Villarreal side who were concentrating more on their midweek Champions League game at Inter Milan than this match. The first chance of the game did fall to Riquelme, who fired a shot just wide of the post, but a few minutes later Robert put the visitors ahead when he got in front of his marker to head Edu's cross in off the far post. And a few minutes later the Brazilian forward made it two when he intercepted a sloppy pass from Josico to Quique Alvarez to run on and fire a shot in to the roof of the net.

The locals should have pulled one back before the break when Guille Franco found himself free in front of goal, but he somehow managed to put his shot wide of the target. And they had the better of the second half, Riquelme hitting the crossbar with an inswinging corner and Varela clearing off the line from Forlán.

With twelve minutes to go substitute Sorín reduced the gap with a low header in off the post from Riquelme's cross, and the Argentine defender had another strike ruled out for a previous foul soon afterwards. Then with the game approaching the final whistle referee Teixeira Vitienes waved away a penalty appeal by the local players after Franco was felled by Rivas in the area. A disappointing result for Pellegrini's side in their push for the European spots, but they have other things on their minds right now.