Espanyol 3 - Villarreal 0

Espanyol: Kameni; Zabaleta, Lacruz, Torrejón, David García; Valdo, Moisés Hurtado, De la Peña, Riera (Moha 59'); Luis García (Lola 72'), Tamudo (Corominas 83'). 4-4-2.
Villarreal: Viera; Angel, Godín, Fuentes, Capdevila; Marcos Senna (Cazorla 64'), Mavuba; Cani, Pires, Mati Fernández; Rossi. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Espanyol: Lacruz, Valdo, De la Peña for Jarque, Corominas, Angel Martínez / Villarreal: Viera, Fuentes, Mavuba, Cani, Mati Fernández, Rossi for Diego López, Cygan, Bruno, Cazorla, Nihat, Guille Franco.

Goals:
1-0. 08. Tamudo. Ran on to Luis García return pass to shoot wide of Lux.
2-0. 13. Valdo. Turned ball back into net after Luis García free kick came off post.
3-0. 36. Tamudo. Header on far post after Valdo headed on Luis García corner.

Espanyol stay in third place, within a point of city neighbours Barcelona, after beating fourth placed Villarreal 3-0 on Saturday evening. By half time Valverde's side were three up, Tamudo getting the first in the eighth minute after a quick passing move with De la Peña and Luis García. Valdo fired in the second with the outside of his heel after a Luis García free kick came back off the post, and Tamudo got his second of the night with a header from close up after Valdo headed across a Luis García corner. And it could have been more as Luis García and Riera both shot just wide of the mark before the interval.

Villarreal had taken points from Montjuic in each of the last five seasons, but this time they were outclassed. With Nihat, Tomasson and Guille Franco all injured, Pellegrini had nobody to turn to. Rossi however did have a go, his curling free kick coming back off the top of the post. The locals could have had a fourth though after Lola put De la Peña through, Viera saving from the midfielder and Fuentes clearing Tamudo's follow up from inside the goal, the officials giving the benefit of the doubt to the defender, and also waving away appeals for a penalty on De la Peña at the same time.

By then though it was all over, and the Catalans had extended their unbeaten run to 16 games in all competitions, equalling a club record and distancing themselves from their opponents by four points into the bargain. A draw or more in their midweek cup tie at Bilbao and this will be Espanyol's best run in their 107 year history.