MADRID: Villarreal strengthened its grip on third place in La Liga with a 2-1 away win over Athletic Bilbao, moving four points clear of Atletico Madrid and 15 ahead of fifth-placed Real Betis as it closed in on qualification for next season's UEFA Champions League.
First-half goals from Sergi Cardona and Alfon Gonzalez put Villarreal 2-0 ahead and left Athletic Bilbao struggling.
The home side pushed for a route back into the game in the second half, but Villarreal defended in an organized manner and also had chances to extend its lead on the counterattack.
Gorka Guruzeta pulled a goal back for Athletic Bilbao in the 84th minute, but Villarreal held on for the win, while Athletic remains just six points above the bottom three.
Villarreal broke the deadlock in the 26th minute. Marcelino’s men launched an excellent transition, with a through ball for Tani Oluwaseyi, who controlled the ball and laid it off to Cardona, arriving from deep. The Catalan wing-back showed great composure to lift the ball over the goalkeeper with a delicate chip and make it 0-1.