Villarreal 3 - Athletic Bilbao 1

Villarreal: Reina; Javi Venta (Armando Sá 48'), Gonzalo Rodríguez, César Arzo, Arruabarrena; Marcos Senna, Josico; José Marí, Riquelme (Héctor Font 88'), Sorín (Cazorla 83'); Diego Forlán. 4-2-3-1.
Athletic: Aranzubia; Murillo, Lacruz, Luis Prieto, Casas (Del Horno 46'); Gurpegui, Orbaiz; Iraola (Urzaiz 46'), Yeste (Jonan García 76'), Etxeberría; Ezquerro. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Villarreal: César Arzo, José Marí for Quique Alvarez, Guayre / Athletic: Lacruz, Casas, Yeste for Del Horno, Tiko, Llorente.

Goals:
1-0. 12. José Marí. Beat Aranzubia after Forlán headed on Javi Venta cross.
1-1. 22. Ezquerro. Latched on to square pass from Etxeberría to shoot past Reina.
2-1. 32. José Marí. Near post header past Aranzubia from Riquelme's corner.
3-1. 57. Forlán. Ran on to Marcos Senna through ball and shot low past keeper.

Villarreal moved up to third place in the table after beating Athletic Bilbao 3-1 on Saturday evening. Pellegrini's side had been rated the best in Spain in recent weeks, and they took the lead early on when José Marí got on the end of a long cross from Javi Venta which Forlán headed on to control the ball and beat Aranzubia. Ezquerro equalised ten minutes later after Etxeberría set him up, his eighteenth in all competitions this season, but José Marí restored the lead with his second of the night when he headed home Riquelme's corner with just over half an hour gone. Orbaiz could have levelled the scores again though with a long shot which deflected wide off Josico on the stroke of half time.

Valverde brought on Del Horno and Urzaiz at the break, but the home side continued to press forward, Aranzubia doing well to keep out a low header by Sorín from Riquelme's free kick. And four minutes later Marcos Senna found Forlán for the Uruguayan striker to run on and drill a shot wide of the keeper, taking him just a goal behind Barcelona's Eto'o for the Pichichi title. Urzaiz fired a volley over the top and Marcos Senna shot wide at the other end as the two sides vied for control, but the hosts could have increased their lead when substitutes Cazorla and Font both hit the post in one attack near the end. They had done enough though to ensure the three points and pu a little more pressure on second placed Real Madrid, now only seven points ahead of them in the table.