Villarreal 2 - Racing Santander 1

Villarreal: Viera; Javi Venta, Fuentes, Gonzalo, José Enrique; Tacchinardi, Marcos Senna; Cani (Somoza 88'), Guille Franco, Pires (Matias Fernández 71'); Diego Forlán (Marcos García 83'). 4-2-3-1.
Racing: Toño; Pinillos, Rubén, Garay, Oriol; Colsa (Balboa 53'), Vitolo; Scaloni, Felipe Melo, Oscar Serrano (Cristian Alvarez 76'); Zigic (Juanjo 63'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Villarreal: Guille Franco for Marcos García / Racing: Oriol, Felipe Melo for Cristian Fernández, Munitis.

Goals:
1-0. 18. Tacchinardi. First time volley from edge of area through hands of Toño.
2-0. 55. Cani. Rolled ball past Toño after keeper clashed with Guille Franco.
2-1. 64. Felipe Melo. Got on end of long Serrano cross to turn ball in on far post

Villarreal moved to within one point of the UEFA cup spots after beating Racing Santander 2-1, their fifth win in a row. Both sides were in the running for sixth spot, but the locals dominated early on, with Pires shooting wide and Tacchinardi and Forlán going close. And with just over a quarter of an hour gone Tacchinardi opened the scoring with a spectacular volley after Garay could only head Cani's lifted cross into his path.

Colsa headed wide at the other end soon afterwards, but Diego Forlán could have increased the lead a couple of times before the break. And ten minutes after the restart Cani got a controversial second after Guille Franco had barged in to keeper Toño. Felipe Melo got one back for the visitors a few minutes later after Oscar Serrano set him up, but Toño did well to prevent Marcos and Pires from adding a third later on.