Villarreal: Sergio Asenjo; Mario Gaspar, Musacchio, Víctor Ruíz, Jaume Costa; Jonathan Dos Santos (Alfonso 65’), Manu Trigueros, Tomás Pina (Sergio Marcos 59‘), Joel Campbell; Giovani, Vietto (Gerard Moreno 59’). 4-4-2.
Espanyol: Kiko Casilla; Arbilla, Alvaro González, Héctor Moreno, Duarte; Javi López (Cañas 64‘), Víctor Sánchez (Abraham 83‘); Lucas Vázquez, Sergio García, Víctor Alvarez; Caicedo (Stuani 77’). 4-2-3-1.
Goals:
0-1. 24. Caicedo. Deflected ball into net after Javi López headed across area.
0-2. 68. Caicedo. Controlled Sergio García pass and struck shot inside near post.
0-3. 79. Víctor Sánchez. From close up after Asenjo pushed out Alvarez centre.
Yellow cards: Alvaro 34’, Pina 34’.
Villarreal stay sixth in the table, although they are now eleven points below fifth placed Sevilla after a 0-3 defeat against Espanyol on Thursday evening. Both teams came into the match with poor recent records, the locals having gone five games without a win and the visitors four, but the first chance fell to the Catalans, Sergio Asenjo having to keep out a header from Víctor Alvarez. Midway through the first half the visitors took the lead after a wide Lucas Vázquez free kick came back off the bar, Javi López’s header back into the area hitting Caicedo and deflecting in to the net. Trigueros tried his luck at the other end a couple of times after the interval, but with just over twenty minutes to go Caicedo got his second of the night after picking up a pass from Sergio García before squeezing a shot inside Asenjo’s near post. Ten minutes later Víctor Sánchez got the third after the keeper could only push an Alvarez cross into his path, and at that point most of the local fans decided it was time to leave.