Villarreal 3 - Málaga 0 Villarreal: Reina; Armando Sá, Gonzalo Rodríguez, Quique Alvarez, Arruabarrena; Cazorla (Héctor Font 78'), Peña, Josico (César Arzo 85'), Riquelme; Guayre (Diego Forlán 65'), Lucho Figueroa. 4-4-2.
Málaga: Calatayud; Gerardo, Fernando Sanz, Juanito, Iznata; Edgar (Paco Esteban 60'), Miguel Angel, Leko (Juan Rodríguez 73'), Duda; Amoroso, Wanchope (Geijo 85'). 4-4-2.

Team changes: Villarreal: Armando Sá, Gonzalo Rodríguez for Javi Venta, Sorín / Málaga: Juanito, Iznata for César Navas, Valcarce.

Goals:
1-0. 45. Peña. Rose above defence to head Riquelme free kick past Calatayud.
2-0. 65. Riquelme. Shot from outside of area which went through hands of keeper.
3-0. 83. Diego Forlán. First time shot across keeper after Arruabarrena laid ball in.

Villarreal climbed up to the top half of the table after a Riquelme inspired 3-0 win over struggling Málaga. It took them some time to get going though against a packed defence, and only a couple of runs by Guayre down the wing caused any problems for Calatayud. But a minute before the interval Edgar handled the ball inside the box, and although referee Daudén Ibäñez gave a free kick outside the area rather than a penalty, Riquelme found Peña with his kick for the Bolivian defender to score his first league goal in ten years of football in Spain.

Málaga tried to push forward after the break, but the hosts scored a second goal when Riquelme got free on a breakaway, his shot from outside of the area passing through the hands of the keeper. And the Argentine midfielder also had a hand in a third goal later on, his pass finding Arruabarrena for him to cross in for Diego Forlán to finish off and score his sixth of the season. The only downside was a late injury to Peña, who was carried off on a stretcher with all three changes already made. But Villarreal had already done enough, and for the first time this season they recorded a second win in a row.