Levante 0 - Villarreal 2

Levante: Molina; Manolo, José Serrano, Alexis, Courtois; Camacho, Tomassi (N'Diaye 70'); Ettien (Reggi 46'), Kapo, Riga; Salva. 4-2-3-1.
Villarreal: Viera; Josemi, Cygan, Fuentes, José Enrique; Matias Fernández, Marcos Senna, Josico (Somoza 71'), Marcos García; Diego Forlán (Guille Franco 63'), Tomasson (Cani 82'). 4-4-2.

Team changes: Levante: Alexis, Courtois, Riga for Dehú, Harte, Robert / Villarreal: Marcos Senna for Somoza.

Goals:
0-1. 09. Forlán. Picked up ball on edge of area and curled shot into far top corner.
0-2. 72. Tomasson. Ran on to Mati Fernández pass to slide shot past Molina.

Villarreal beat local rivals Levante 0-2 in the first match on Saturday evening, a result which takes the visitors closer to the European spots and leaves the locals just outside the drop zone. Pellegrini's side got off to an electric start, Marcos and Diego Forlán going close before Forlán beat Molina with a curling shot from the edge of the area. Tomasson and Josico both brought good saves out of the keeper soon afterwards, but after that the locals fought back, Salva unlucky to have a goal disallowed by referee Iturralde González after infamous linesman Rafa Guerrero incorrectly ruled that the striker was offside after Viera blocked a previous shot.

Soon after the restart Matias Fernández got the ball in the net, only for the play to be pulled up as the ball had hit Tomasson on the hand. Salva claimed a penalty at the other end only to be booked for diving, and Salva and Alexis both went close with headers from dead ball kicks. But with twenty minutes to go Tomasson made it two after Matias Fernández set him up, and it was all over. Levante had still not beaten their neighbours in the top flight, and they will have to wait at least another season to do so.