Villarreal CF strengthened their grip on third place in La Liga with a 2-1 away win over Athletic Bilbao, moving four points clear of Atlético Madrid and 15 ahead of fifth-placed Real Betis as they closed in on qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
First-half goals from Sergi Cardona and Alfon González gave Villarreal a 2-0 lead and left Athletic Bilbao on the back foot.
The visitors broke the deadlock in the 26th minute through a swift counterattack. A through ball found Tani Oluwaseyi, who controlled it well and set up Cardona, arriving from deep. The wing-back showed composure to chip the ball over the goalkeeper.
Villarreal looked comfortable after taking the lead, controlling possession and keeping the home side at bay while posing a threat on the counter.
In first-half stoppage time, Alfon doubled the lead after pressing aggressively to win the ball from a defender and finishing calmly past Unai Simón at the near post.
Athletic Bilbao pushed forward after the break in search of a comeback, which allowed Villarreal more space to counter. Tajon Buchanan came close to making it 3-0 but was denied in a one-on-one by Simón.
The hosts eventually pulled a goal back in the 84th minute when Gorka Guruzeta converted a cross from Yuri Berchiche.
Villarreal briefly thought they had sealed the result when Nicolas Pépé found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside. The visitors, however, held on to secure a crucial three points at San Mamés.
Despite the defeat, Athletic Bilbao remain six points above the relegation zone.
-IANS
