Villarreal 2 - Mallorca 1

Villarreal: Barbosa (Viera 46'); Javi Venta, Cygan, Fuentes, José Enrique; Marcos Senna (Somoza 74'), Josico (Cani 70'), Matias Fernández, Marcos García; Diego Forlán, Tomasson. 4-4-2.
Mallorca: Prats; Varela, Ballesteros, Nunes, Fernando Navarro; Pereyra (Jordi López 35'); Jonás Gutiérrez, Jankovic (Víctor 82'), Ibagaza, Tuni (Maxi López 70'); Arango. 4-1-4-1.

Team changes: Villarreal: Cygan, Marcos García, Diego Forlán for Quique Alvarez, Cani, José Marí / Mallorca: Pereyra, Ibagaza, Tuni, Arango for Héctor, Basinas, Jordi López, Maxi López.

Goals:
0-1. 26. Pereyra. Got above defence to head corner past Barbosa.
1-1. 38. Tomasson. Fired shot past Prats after Mati Fernández laid ball back.
2-1. 89. Fuentes. Turned ball in close to goal after cross not cleared.

Villarreal beat Mallorca 2-1 on Sunday evening to move away from their opponents up to midtable. The locals were in need of a win after some disappointing results, and Matias Fernández and Tomasson both went close early on. But the visitors picked up their game, and after Fuentes cleared off the linr from Tuni, Pereyra got on the end of a corner to head past Barbosa.

Jankovic almost made it two minutes later when he tried to lob the keeper, but Villarreal equalised soon afterwards, Tomasson turning the ball past Prats from close to goal after good work by Mati Fernández down the left wing. Prats had to keep out Diego Forlán a couple of minutes later, and Marcos García had a penalty appeal turned down before the interval.

Tomasson came close to scoring after the restart when he intercepted a bad back pass from Ballesteros, and Mati Fernández fired a free kick just over the bar. Víctor wasted a good chance at the other end when he got free but failed to beat Viera, who had replaced the injured Barbosa at the break. But with the game coming to an end the locals swung a cross into the area, and the ball fell kindly for Fuentes to score from close up. It was enough to take the three points, and probably save the head of coach Pellegrini into the bargain.