Villarreal 2 - Mallorca 2

Villarreal: López Vallejo; Xavi Roca, Berruet, Quique Alvarez, Arruabarrena; Schelotto (Galván 75'), Amor, Javier Gracia (Jaime 80'), Calleja (Craioveanu 75'); Víctor, Palermo. 4-4-2.
Mallorca: Leo Franco (Miki 20'); Olaizola, Fernando Niño, Nadal, Miguel Soler; Novo, Marcos, Ibagaza, Carreras; Biagini (Güiza 46'), Luque (Carlos 46'). 4-4-2.

Team changes: Villarreal: Berruet, Schelotto for Quique Medina, Jorge López / Mallorca: Fernando Niño, Novo, Biagini for Siviero, Finidi, Eto'o.

Goals:
1-0. 31. Palermo. Tap in on far post after Víctor swung ball across from right.
2-0. 37. Víctor. Received return pass from Calleja and shot wide of keeper.
2-1. 51. Carreras. Header wide of keeper after corner from right hand side.
2-2. 72. Güiza. Rolled ball in on far post after Carlos beat two men and crossed.

Mallorca came back from two goals down to earn a valuable point at Villarreal which keeps them on track for a Champions League spot next season. The match was due to be played on Saturday night, but was eventually postponed to Sunday evening due to the untimely death of Antonio Asensio, largest shareholder and ex president of Mallorca. Asensio, a well known businessman, had been president of Mallorca up until a year ago when he had to retire due to illness, and a minute's silence was observed in most grounds before this weekend's games. Part of the Madrid based footballing clan, Asensio's daughter is married to Málaga's central defender Fernando Sanz, who in turn is the son of ex Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz, and all the top figures in Spanish football attended his funeral on Saturday in Madrid. Just for the record, Sanz has been rumoured to be considering taking over at Mallorca in the future.

Luis Aragonés had to make a couple of changes to the Mallorca side, with Finidi, Eto'o and Burgos on international duty, and Fernando Niño returning after a one match ban. Bad news about their captain Engonga though, who has had to undergo a knee operation and is likely to be out to the end of the season. Víctor Muñoz was missing the suspended Jorge López, which gave Schelotto a rare chance to start having made little impact since joining from Boca Juniors in the winter. As so often happens in football it was a game of two halves, with Villarreal dominating the first and Mallorca coming back in the second. Víctor in particular was on his best form and only weight of numbers prevented him from opening the scoring early on. Leo Franco produced a first class save from Calleja, but minutes later had to abandon the pitch with an injury, and with Burgos in Argentina, Mallorca B keeper Miki made his first team debut. The young keeper saved well from Palermo, but could do nothing to stop the Argentinian striker opening the scoring on the half hour mark after Víctor set the ball up on a plate. Víctor himself added a second six minutes later, and Palermo came close to adding a third before the break with a diving header which went just wide.

Aragonés changed his front two at half time, bringing on Carlos and Mallorca B striker Güiza, whose last major appearance had been in the Intertoto cup. Things improved almost from the kick off, and Carreras narrowed the gap with a headed goal six minutes in to the half. Then twenty minutes later the two substitutes combined to level the scores, Carlos beating a couple of defenders before laying the ball across the front of the goal for Güiza to tap in on the far post. Víctor made three quick changes to try and win the game, but Miki pulled out a couple of good saves to stop Palermo, who was receiving some abuse from a small section of the crowd. Upset about not winning a penalty when Fernando Niño brought him down and desperate to score to shut up his critics, the controversial front man flung himself at a cross and appeared to have got the winner, but referee Pérez Lasa spotted that he had used his hand and sent him off for a second bookable offence. That was the end of it, and Villarreal drop further down to tenth place having only picked up six points now from their last eight games. Mallorca hold on to fourth spot, level on points with Valencia and now two clear of Barcelona. Aragonés still has allusions of reaching second place. Don't bet against him.