Villarreal 2 - Racing Santander 0

Villarreal: Barbosa; Javi Venta, Quique Alvarez, Peña, Arruabarrena; Marcos Senna, Tacchinardi; Cazorla (Calleja 76'), José Marí (Xisco Nadal 46'), Riquelme (Roger 86'); Diego Forlán. 4-2-3-1.
Racing: Valencia; Regragui, Garay, Pablo Alfaro, Neru, Lee Ho Jin; Antonio Tomás (Moratón 85'), Matabuena, Vitolo, Jonathan Valle; Juanjo (Felipe Melo 71'). 5-4-1.

Team changes: Villarreal: Cazorla for Guille Franco / Racing: Valencia, Regragui, Garay, Pablo Alfaro, Neru, Lee, Antonio Tomás, Jonathan Valle for Dudu Aouate, Pinillos, Oriol, Moratón, Ayoze, Felipe Melo, Oscar Serrano, Antoñito.

Goals:
1-0. 30. Riquelme (penalty). After José Marí pushed over by Garay inside area.
2-0. 61. Xisco Nadal. Got free of marker to head Cazorla cross down past keeper.

Villarreal will be back in Europe next season, albeit it will only be in the Intertoto cup after they beat Racing Santander 2-0 to squeeze ahead of Deportivo into seventh place.

Having saved themselves the week before, the Cantabrians gave a run out to some of their lesser used players, including Valencia and Lee Ho Jin who were both making their debuts for the side. Even so they had the early chances, Antonio Tomás and Matabuena both shooting wide.

With the game a half an hour old though the locals were awarded a penalty after José Marí fell under a challenge by Garay, and Riquelme stepped up to make amends for the one he missed in the Champions League semi-final.

Racing had a chance to equalise after the break but Juanjo twice failed to beat Barbosa, and Forlán shot into the side netting at the other end. Young striker Xisco Nadal came on to head home Cazorla's cross on the hour mark to wrap things up, and Barbosa kept out a late effort from Lee to ensure the final result. Not quite Champions League, but Pellegrini's side will at least be back in Europe next season.