Villarreal 3 - Atlético Madrid 2

Villarreal: Reina; Javi Venta, Gonzalo Rodríguez, Peña (Cazorla 61'), Arruabarrena; Héctor Font, Marcos Senna; Riquelme, Sorín; Guayre (José Marí 61'), Diego Forlán. 4-4-2.
Atlético: Leo Franco; Molinero, Perea, Pablo, Antonio López; Marcelo Sosa, Colsa; Jorge (Nano 66'), Ibagaza, Gronkjaer (Salva 86'); Fernando Torres. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Villarreal: Peña, Héctor Font for Quique Alvarez, Battaglia / Atlético: Marcelo Sosa for Luccin.

Goals:
0-1. 25. Fernando Torres. Ran on to Gronkjaer's long cross to shoot wide of Reina.
0-2. 38. Fernando Torres. Picked up Ibagaza through ball and ran on to score.
1-2. 62. Diego Forlán. Connected with Sorín pass to shoot in from close range.
2-2. 81. Perea (own goal). Headed Riquelme's free kick back into his own net.
3-2. 92. Sorín. Drove ball past keeper after Nano failed to clear Forlán cross.

Villarreal moved up to fifth place, within a point of the Champions League spots, after coming from two goals down to beat Atlético Madrid 3-2. It was literally a game of two halves, with an Ibagaza inspired Atleti dominating the first 45 minutes and the hosts coming back after the break. Fernando Torres got the ball in the net early on only for the strike to be incorrectly ruled out for offside, but a few minutes later he made no mistake after Ibagaza sent Gronkjaer away down the left flank with a clever flick on, the Danish winger rolling the ball into the path of the young striker for him to run on and beat Reina. Soon afterwards Riquelme fired a free kick just over the bar, but before the break the away side were two up, Ibagaza slipping through a slide ruled pass for Torres to get his second of the night and his sixth in a month.

Gronkjaer could well have made it three after the restart when he headed wide with the goal at his mercy, but gradually the hosts started to get back in the game, Gonzalo going close with a header following a Riquelme corner. And with José Marí and Cazorla just on the park, Diego Forlán got ahead of Pablo to turn Sorín's cross past Leo Franco, the first goal that the keeper had let in after 500 minutes of football. José Marí got himself booked for diving in the area, and Ibagaza brought a good save out of Reina at the other end. But with ten minutes to go Perea headed the ball back in to his own net to level the scores, and with the game already in injury time Nano tried to cut out Forlán's cross and only succeeded in knocking it as far as Sorín, who swooped in to fire home the winner.