Villarreal down Atletico to go second in Spanish league

Villarreal made it a perfect four league home wins at El Madrigal defeating visitors Atletico Madrid 2-0 on Sunday to move above Barcelona on goal difference into second a point behind league leaders Real Madrid.

Goals from Ruben Cani and Giuseppe Rossi helped Villareal stretch their unbeaten league run to seven matches and Juan Carlos Garrido’s team have a flawless four wins from four at home.

For Atletico this was a third successive loss against Villarreal having tasted defeat home and away in the league last season and the capital club stay down in eighth seven points behind pacesetters Real Madrid.

Uruguayan centre-back Diego Godin faced old club Villarreal for the first time since joining Atletico in an eight-million-euro summer move but was helpless as Brazilian Nilmar set up Cani for a ninth-minute opener.

Atletico went into the interval angry at an ignored penalty claim for an apparent foul on Sergio “Kun” Aguero.

Italian international Rossi grabbed his fifth goal of the season in the 52nd minute finishing off a fine Villarreal team move by slipping the ball under goalkeeper David de Gea.

Atletico responded by throwing on Villarreal old boy Diego Forlan five minutes later, however, the Europa League champions could not find a way back into the match.

At the summit unbeaten Real Madrid are a point ahead of Villarreal and Barcelona with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a first ever quadruple in Saturday’s 4-1 thrashing of Racing Santander at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Barcelona won 2-0 at bottom side Real Zaragoza on Saturday thanks to a brace from Lionel Messi and lie second a point behind arch rivals Real.

Espanyol continued their promising start to the season maintaining their 100 percent home record with a 2-1 home victory over 10-man promoted Levante at the Cornella El-Prat stadium on Sunday.

Espanyol made it four wins from four at home with Argentine winger Jesus Datalo, on loan from Italian side Napoli, scoring a 12th minute opener before Jose Callejon added what proved a vital second goal ten minutes from time as they climbed up to fifth.

Levante had Xisco Nadal sent off on 55 minutes for a late tackle from behind to aid Espanyol’s cause and the Barcelona-based club are now just a point behind fourth-placed Valencia.

“We are not going to get carried away by being in the top part of the table,” said Espanyol coach Mauricio Pochettino. “We are a young team that is maturing and in every match we go for the win.”

Sevilla moved a point behind Espanyol in sixth with a nervy 4-3 home win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Brazilian international forward Luis Fabiano scored a brace for his first goals of the season and Mali veteran Frederic Kanoute converted two spot-kicks in a thrilling game.

Fabiano had said he wanted out of the club in January but the forward has been given a new lease of life under new coach Gregorio Manzano and repaid the faith with a goal in each half.

Sevilla had defender Fernando Navarro sent off just after the hour mark for a second booking but held a comfortable 3-0 lead at the time.

However, two goals in three minutes from Spanish international Fernando Llorente (73 min, 77) gave Sevilla a fright before Kanoute scored his second penalty on 80 minutes to kill off the game.

“It was an exciting game right until the end. It turned into a crazy match after the sending-off,” admitted Sevilla coach Gregorio Manzano.