Villarreal 0 - Real Madrid 1

Villarreal: Reina; Josico, Quique Alvarez, Ballesteros, Galván; Guayre, Quique Medina, Farinós (De Nigris 89'), Jorge López; Víctor, Palermo. 4-4-2.
Real Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado, Iván Helguera, Pavón, Roberto Carlos; Flavio Conceiçao, Cambiasso (Portillo 81'); Figo (Miñambres 81'), Raúl, Zidane; Ronaldo (Guti 71'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Villarreal: Josico, Galván for Belletti, Arruabarrena / Madrid: Iván Helguera, Cambiasso for Rubén, Makelele.

Goals:
0-1. 90. Iván Helguera. Forced ball under Reina after Miñambres cross from right

A last minute goal from Iván Helguera gave Real Madrid a narrow 0-1 win at Villarreal to keep them top of the table. Once again Del Bosque decided not to reserve players for their Tuesday evening Champions League game in Moscow, and only the injured Hierro and Makelele were missing from the line up. Villarreal were without their two suspended full backs Belletti and Arruabarrena, and Josico was drafted in at right back to keep tabs on Zidane.

Madrid appeared to be off colour though after their big game against Milan midweek, and Casillas had to be on his toes to keep out a wide shot from Palermo after he had left Pavón for dead. Raúl rolled a shot just wide at the other end, but after a brief stoppage for a floodlights failure Farinós sent a long shot screaming just wide of the post. Ronaldo had been a lone figure up front, but when he finally got the service he was looking for his effort was turned for a corner by Ballesteros.

The second half continued in the same vein, and Guayre found space a couple of times to test Casillas, the first when he hooked a shot into the side netting and then with a header which the keeper gathered easily. The visitors were always a danger on the counterattack though, and Reina had to make a spectacular dive to fist away a vicious free kick from Figo.

The introduction of Guti for Ronaldo inspired Madrid, although they were lucky not to go behind when Casillas blocked a shot from Palermo, and Roberto Carlos deflected his follow up onto the bar and out for a corner. But then when everybody thought a draw was on the cards, substitute Miñambres clipped the ball across the face of the goal and there was Helguera to force a shot under the despairing Reina. They call it the luck of champions, and having now won in the last minute on three occasions this season, it is difficult to see who is going to stop them.