Valladolid 2 - Villarreal 0

Valladolid: Sergio Asenjo; Pedro López, Rafa, García Calvo, Marcos; Sisi (Borja 60'), Alvaro Rubio, Vivar Dorado, Jonathan Sesma; Víctor (Estoyanoff 76'), Llorente (Alexis 86'). 4-4-2.
Villarreal: Viera; Javi Venta, Fuentes, Cygan, Capdevila; Marcos Senna, Bruno (Cazorla 46'); Cani, Nihat (Tomasson 62'), Pires (Mati Fernández 62'); Guille Franco. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Valladolid: Sergio Asenjo for Butelle / Villarreal: Javi Venta, Cani for Angel, Cazorla.

Goals:
1-0. 18. Llorente. Got on the end of Sisi's cross to steer header wide of Viera.
2-0. 57. Víctor. Connected with Sesma cross to turn ball wide of keeper.

Second placed Villarreal failed to keep up with leaders Real Madrid after losing 2-0 at Valladolid on Sunday evening. Pellegrini's side were never really in the game, and they fell behind in the eighteenth minute when Llorente guided a header wide of Viera from Sisi's cross. A few minutes earlier Llorente had gone close, and Marcos fired a long shot wide soon after the first goal.

Young keeper Sergio Asenjo was making his first appearance this season for the locals, and he did well to keep out Nihat before the break. Nihat and Guille Franco both failed to hit the target either side of half time, and a few minutes later Víctor got ahead of Cygan to poke home Sesma's cross to make it two. Llorente could have increased the lead when Viera tipped his header over the bar later on, but Mendilibar's side had done enough to take three more points which took them three above the drop zone.