Luciano Vietto scored twice as Villarreal claimed a 3-0 win over La Liga strugglers Deportivo La Coruna yesterday to keep the top four in their sights.
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Jonathan dos Santos opened the scoring for the Yellow Submarine in the 10th minute before a second-half double from Vietto sealed the win.
Villarreal finished the game with 10 men after Tomas Pina was sent off in the 80th minute for a professional foul on Depor midfielder Alex Bergantinos, but it did not
The win moved Villarreal fifth and above Sevilla on goal difference.
Villarreal got off to a perfect start thanks to the early goal by Dos Santos, who prodded the ball past Depor goalkeeper Fabricio after he parried Denis Cheryshev’s 20-yard strike.
Bruno Soriano forced a save from Fabricio with a header from Manuel Trigueros’ 29th minute corner as Villarreal took a 1-0 lead into the break.
Fabricio turned Giovani dos Santos’ strike around the post early in the second half as the hosts maintained the pressure before saving another shot from distance by Vietto.
Villarreal ‘keeper Sergio Asenjo was finally called into action in the 66th minute to deny Depor defender Sidnei’s shot. Vietto finally found the back of the net soon
after, though, when he turned in Victor Ruiz’s cross from close range. The 21-year-old added his second four minutes later from a similar range to put Villarreal out of sight.
Pina was sent off 10 minutes from the end after bringing down Bergantinos but by then it was too late for Depor to change the course of the match.
Meanwhile, lowly Granada were held to a 1-1 draw by Getafe at Los Carmenes. Jhon Cordoba handed the hosts the lead five minutes before the break but Emiliano Velazquez struck back deep into the second half to earn Cosmin Contra’s men a share of the spoils.
The point means Granada remain in danger in 18th, while a third league draw in a row moved their opponents up a spot into 12th – four points better off.
Liverpool loanee Luis Alberto scored a magnificent winner within seconds of coming on as a substitute as Malaga claimed a 2-1 comeback victory at bottom-placed Elche.
The hosts had taken the lead in first-half injury time thanks to a disputed headed goal by David Lomban that looked to be offside, but Malaga hit back just after the break through Ignacio Camacho, and then Luis Alberto hit the winner with 13 minutes left.
