Villarreal 3 - Atlético Madrid 0

Villarreal: Diego López; Javi Venta, Gonzalo, Godín, Capdevila; Eguren, Marcos Senna (Bruno 87'); Cazorla, Nihat (Mati Fernández 75'), Pires (Cani 79'); Rossi. 4-2-3-1.
Atlético: Abbiati; Antonio López, Perea, Pablo, Pernía (Seitaridis 31'); Maxi, Raúl García, Nacho Camacho (Miguel 82'), Luis García (Jurado 51'); Diego Forlán, Agüero. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Villarreal: Pires, Rossi for Mati Fernández, Tomasson / Atlético: Luis García for Simao.

Goals:
1-0. 38. Cazorla. Shot past Abbiati after Perea played Rossi pass into his path.
2-0. 42. Nihat. Got on end of Rossi's cross to lift ball over keeper on far post.
3-0. 65. Nihat. Ran on to Cazorla wide pass and drilled angled shot past Abbiati.

Villarreal are having their best season ever, and they moved above Barcelona to second spot after a 3-0 win over fourth placed Atlético Madrid on Saturday night. Pellegrini's side had the better of the first half, with Abbiati having to tip a deflected shot from Cazorla over the bar early on. And they scored twice shortly before the break, Cazorla firing a shot past the keeper after Perea could only clear Rossi's cross into his path, and Nihat stabbing home the second after Cazorla and Rossi combined down the left wing to set up him up.

Up to that point Diego López had only been tested by a long shot from Maxi, but youngster Nacho Camacho headed a corner against the post soon after the restart. That was about the sum total of their chances though, and Nihat ran on to Cazorla's through ball to drill a low shot past the keeper for Villarreal's third midway through the second half. With Barça losing earlier in the evening, Villarreal are now in that vital second spot which gives direct access to the Champions League. Real Madrid beware!