Villarreal missed a golden opportunity to go to the top of the pile for the first time in their history after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Hércules on Monday night, although newcomers Hércules have been pretty impressive so far this season
Málaga 2-3 Villarreal
Málaga played host to Villarreal on Monday evening, a game which saw five goals in the first 33 minutes. The Blue and Whites opened the scoring after only four minutes, Eliseu shooting from the edge of the box.
Villarreal come through tough warm-up match
Villarreal began their preparations for the upcoming season with a tough match against Navata, just shading it 27 to nil. Villarreal, under new coach Ernesto Valverde, played a different eleven in each half. Jonathan Pereira grabbed seven goals while Joseba Llorente and Ruben Marcos both managed four apiece.
Barcelona draw, Nerja and Málaga win
Barcelona now just need one point from their last three games to clinch the La Liga title after a 3-3 draw with Villarreal.
Draws all round in the Champions League
In the Champions League, Villarreal and Arsenal are all square after the first leg of their quarter final-match, although Arsenal have the distinct advantage of an away goal.
Sevilla consolidate third place
Sevilla consolidated fourth place with a 4-1 win against Valladolid on Saturday evening.
Copa del Rey and a couple of shocks
The first-leg matches in the fourth round of the Copa del Rey last night threw up a few surprises. High-flyers Villarreal were comprehensively thrashed 5-0 by Division 2B side Poli Ejido, Jorge Molina scoring a hat-trick and Raúl Torres and Nakor getting the other two. Pretty tough task ahead for Villarreal in the return match if they hope to progress! …
Mixed fortunes in the Champions League
Real Madrid have slipped to second spot in group H of the Champions League after suffering a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Juventus. Del Piero opened the scoring for Juve, with Amario adding a second. Ruud van Nistelrooy pulled one back for Real but it wasn’t enough. Villarreal are second in group E, behind Manchester United, on goal difference …
Football
A great chance for both Barcelona and Villarreal to gain a bit of ground on leaders Real Madrid, but neither team seized the opportunity. Barcelona were held to a scoreless draw by Getafe and Villarreal went down 2-0 to Sevilla. Luis Fabian and Kanouté from the penalty spot were the scorers for Sevilla who keep sixth place in La Liga …