Villarreal: Diego López; Ángel,
Gonzalo, Musacchio, Capdevila; Cani, Bruno, Borja Valero, Cazorla (Marcos Senna
79'); Nilmar (Marco Rubén 75'); Rossi (Altidore 83'). 4-4-2.
Mallorca: Aouate; Cendros, Ramis, Nunes, Ayoze;
Martí (Nsue 61'), Joao Victor; Pereira, De Guzmán, Chori Castro
(Víctor Casadesus 75'); Webó. 4-2-3-1.
Goals:
1-0. 11. Cazorla. Fired shot past Aouate after Rossi
headed on Valero cross.
1-1. 27. De Guzmán. Picked up Webó's
square pass to lob shot over keeper.
2-1. 35. Rossi (penalty). After
Rossi's free kick hit Webó on the arm in the area.
3-1. 51. Nilmar.
Ran on to Valero through ball and chipped shot over keeper.
Yellow cards: Nunes 34', Webó 34', Joao Víctor 44', Musacchio 57', Ramis 59', Ayoze 79'.
Villarreal beat Mallorca 3-1 on Saturday evening to make sure of third spot going in to the Christmas break. The locals went ahead in the eleventh minute after Aouate saved from Cani, Borja Valero picking up the ball and crossing in for Rossi to head on to Cazorla for him to fire a shot wide of the keeper. Aouate saved again from Rossi minutes later, but the visitors equalised in their first attack, De Guzmán picking up Webó's cross to fire a dipping volley over Diego López.
Before the break though Villarreal restored the lead with a controversial Rossi penalty after the referee ruled that Webó had deliberately handled the ball when Rossi's free kick hit his arm, and Nilmar made it three soon after the restart with a chip over the keeper after Valero had put him through. After that Laudrup's side hardly troubled Diego López, and Cani could have increased the lead had Aouate not kept him out later on.