First Division - Day 36

Almería 4 - Villarreal 2

Almería: Diego Alves; Michel Macedo (Vargas 83'), Acasiete, Chico, Cisma; Bernardello, M'bami; Piatti, Soriano, Crusat (Goitom 76'); Kalu Uche (Juanma Ortíz 68'). 4-2-3-1.
Villarreal: Diego López; Javi Venta, Musacchio, Godín, Marcano (Pires 83'); Cazorla, Marcos Senna, Bruno; Nilmar (Ibagaza 46'), Llorente, Rossi (Cani 46'). 4-3-3.

Goals:
1-0. 14. Crusat. Battled past two defenders to fire angled shot across Diego López.
2-0. 28. Kalu Uche. Latched on to Crusat cross to steer shot wide of keeper.
3-0. 42. Kalu Uche. Picked up Piatti cross and turned past marker to score.
3-1. 53. Marcano. Following up after Diego Alves pushed out Ibagaza free kick.
3-2. 66. Ibagaza. Headed ball back in to net after Alves blocked Cazorla free kick.
4-2. 92. Piatti. Controlled Juanma Ortíz centre and struck shot past keeper.

Yellow cards: Crusat 57', Cazorla 58', Mbami 63', Diego Alves 71', Soriano 84', Piatti 92' / red cards: Musacchio 15', Chico 65'.

Villarreal suffered a set-back in their push for a European spot, a 4-2 defeat at Almería leaving them outside of the top six by the end of Tuesday evening. Crusat gave the locals the lead with an impressive shot on the quarter hour mark, and a couple of minutes later the visitors were left with ten men when Musacchio was sent off for a foul on Piatti. And when Kalu Uche added two more later in the first half, the game appeared to be over. Marcano got one back though after Diego Alves saved Llorente's header from Ibagaza's free kick soon after the restart, and numbers were evened up when Chico was also red-carded. Ibagaza narrowed the gap to one goal with a header following another free kick, but with the game in injury time Piatti made sure of the three points.