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First Division - Day 38

Real Sociedad 1 - Villarreal 2

Real: Claudio Bravo; Carlos Martínez (Chory Castro 75’), Ansotegi, Iñigo Martínez, José Angel; Bergara, Rubén Pardo (Zurutuza 46’); Carlos Vela, Canales, Griezmann; Agirretxe (Granero 46’). 4-2-3-1.
Villarreal: Juan Carlos; Mario, Musacchio, Gabriel, Jokic; Bruno (Tomás Pina 51’), Manu Trigueros; Javier Aquino (Jaume Costa 55‘), Giovani (Jonathan Pereira 79’), Moi Gómez; Uche. 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
0-1. 26. Giovani. Picked up ball on half-way line and ran on to shoot past Bravo.
0-2. 69. Uche. Collected short Giovani pass and struck low shot under keeper.
1-2. 92. Vela. Steered angled shot past Juan Carlos from Zurutuza headed pass.

Yellow cards: Jokic 43’, Musacchio 60’, Bergara 68’, Granero 86’, Jaume Costa 88’.

Villarreal beat Real Sociedad 1-2 in the Sunday mid-day kick off to snatch sixth place away from the Basque side. Marcelino’s team started the game three points behind their rivals in the table, but knowing that a victory by any scoreline would take them above their hosts on the head-to-head record. And in the first half it was virtually one-way traffic, Bravo saving from Giovani and Uche shooting wide before Giovani picked up Uche’s back-heel pass on the half way line to run through and curl a shot past the keeper. Real finally woke up near the end of the first half, Bergara poking a shot just wide, and after the restart Griezmann put Juan Carlos to the test for the first time with a header. However with twenty minutes to go Uche made it two after Giovani put him through, and although Vela combined with Zurutuza to get one back, the goal came too late to change the scoreline. The result was important, as Villarreal now enter the Europa League at the last qualifying stage, whereas the San Sebastian based side will have to start their campaign in the earlier rounds at the beginning of August.