Atlético Madrid 1 - Villarreal 0

Atlético: Leo Franco; Molinero, Perea, Pablo, Sergi; Aguilera (Novo 60'), Luccin (Marcelo Sosa 55'), Colsa (Simeone 77'), Musampa; Salva, Fernando Torres. 4-4-2.
Villarreal: Reina; Javi Venta, Gonzalo Rodríguez, Peña, Armando Sá; Josico (César Arzo 83'), Battaglia (Santi Cazorla 62'), Marcos Senna, Héctor Font; José Marí (Guayre 62'), Diego Forlán. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Atlético: Molinero, Colsa for Velasco, Ibagaza / Villarreal: Peña, Josico, Héctor Font, Diego Forlán for Quique Alvarez, Santi Cazorla, Riquelme, Sonny Anderson.

Goals:
1-0. 42. Salva. Got on the end of Musampa's cross to head past Reina.

Atlético Madrid moved up to third spot in the league pending Sunday's games after beating Villarreal 1-0. It was the visitors who came closer to scoring in the first half though, with Forlán shooting just wide on the turn, Senna hitting the bar with a long free kick and Héctor Font also testing Leo Franco. But Salva gave his side the lead against the run of play just before the break when he rose above the defence to head Musampa's cross wide of Reina.

An accidental clash between Luccin and Aguilera forced Ferrando to make two substitutions early in the second half, Sosa and Novo taking their places. Gradually Atlético regained control, and Fernando Torres and Salva could both have added to the score with twenty minutes to go. But five minutes from the end they were reduced to ten men when Perea was shown a second yellow card and substitute Guayre almost saved a point for the visitors when he hit the bar in the dying minutes.