Villarreal: Sergio Asenjo; Mario Gaspar, Musacchio, Eric Bailly, Rukavina; Joel Campbell (Vietto 59‘), Jonathan Dos Santos (Manu Trigueros 59’), Tomás Pina, Moi Gómez; Giovani (Uche 71‘), Gerard Moreno. 4-4-2.
Sevilla: Sergio Rico; Coke (Aleix Vidal ‘), Nico Pareja, Kolodziejczak, Trémoulinas (Fernando Navarro 50’); Carriço, M’Bia; Diogo Figueiras, Iborra (Banega 61‘), Vitolo; Bacca (Iago Aspas 80’). 4-2-3-1.
Goals:
0-1. 49. Coke. Picked up Figueiras back-heel pass and fired shot in off far post.
0-2. 65. Vitolo. Steered shot past Asenjo after defender headed on Coke cross.
Yellow cards: Moi Gómez 87’, Fernando Navarro 74’, Musacchio 77’.
Fifth placed Sevilla kept up their push for a Champions League spot, a 0-2 victory at sixth placed Villarreal on Sunday evening keeping them four points behind Atlético. The Andalusians had already beaten their hosts twice in the last eleven days to knock them out of the Europa League, and Sergio Asenjo had to be at his best to keep out Carriço, Bacca and Diogo Figueiras before the break. Nico Pareja had to clear off the line from Joel Campbell with the keeper beaten, and Moi Gómez crashed a shot against the upright in reply, but just four minutes in to the second half Coke put the visitors ahead after running on to Diogo’s back-heel pass to fire an angled shot in off the far post. A quarter of an hour later Vitolo made it two, steering a shot past his new international colleague Asenjo after Rukavina could only head back Coke’s cross, and the game was out of Villarreal’s reach. Gerard Moreno did turn a deflected shot against the post later on, but Marcelino’s side lost out to their opponents once again, and they end the weekend six points behind them in the table.