Match Report
Villarreal, 3rd with 72 points, sat 26 points above Espanyol (11th, 46). The last five rounds placed Villarreal no better than 10th for form, against 3rd in the standings. Scoring rates set the scale: Villarreal 1.89 scored and 1.21 conceded per game, Espanyol 1.13 and 1.45, with the league averaging 1.35.
5 games without a win framed Villarreal's arrival. Espanyol had lost three in a row.
Across 29 recorded meetings, Villarreal have 13 wins to Espanyol's 4, with 12 draws, at 2.31 goals per meeting. Whoever hosts gains little here: home teams have taken just 31% of the wins in this fixture.
Estadio de la Cerámica staged the fixture, a ground that holds 23,500. Villarreal led 2-0 at the break, and the second half added 3 goals for the 4-1 full-time score.
Goal scorers
Villarreal: Georges Mikautadze (35'), José Salinas (41' og), Nicolas Pépé (50'), Alberto Moleiro (55') · Espanyol: Ludovic Taillandier (88')
Key stats
Possession: Villarreal 49% · Espanyol 51% · Total shots: 10-9 · On target: 3-2 · Corners: 5-8