Villarreal delivered one of their strongest performances of the season with a commanding 4-1 victory over Espanyol, a result that lifts them level on points with third‑placed Atletico Madrid. The Yellow Submarine now sit on 45 points, trailing Atletico only by a single goal on difference and with a game in hand.
Espanyol, meanwhile, suffered their fourth straight defeat, slipping further behind in the battle for European qualification. They now trail fifth‑placed Betis by four points and hold only a narrow one‑point cushion over Celta Vigo in the race for a UEFA Conference League spot.
Georges Mikautadze opened the scoring in the 35th minute with a superb swivelling volley after Tajon Buchanan’s knock‑down. Villarreal doubled their lead just before halftime when Jose Salinas accidentally turned Alberto Moleiro’s square pass into his own net.
Nicolas Pepe made it 3-0 early in the second half, weaving past a defender on the edge of the box before drilling a low left‑footed strike across the goalkeeper. Moleiro added the fourth in the 55th minute, curling home a composed finish after finding acres of space during a rapid counterattack.
Espanyol managed a late consolation in the 88th minute through Cabrera’s glancing header from a corner, but it did little to change the outcome as Manolo Gonzalez’s side continued their downward slide.
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