Villarreal rout Espanyol in Spanish league

Italian international striker Giuseppe Rossi showed his commitment to Villarreal with a double as his his side notched their first win of the season with a 4-0 victory over Espanyol on Sunday.

The 23-year-old Rossi recently denied that he wanted a return to his native Italy and responded to the reports with a goal in each half for his first goals of the season as Villarreal moved up to fifth.

Former Manchester United man Rossi opened the scoring in the 23rd minute before midfielder Borja Valero, on loan from West Bromwich Albion, netted his first goal for the club shortly afterwards.

Rossi grabbed his second on 55 minutes firing a spot-kick past Cameroon goalkeeper Carlos Kameni and Brazilian international Nilmar struck on 77 minutes to clinch a comfortable win.

Villarreal are in European action on Thursday when they travel to Dinamo Zagreb in the round of 32 Europa League match.

Elsewhere former Barcelona and Real Madrid star Michael Laudrup continues to wait for his first league win as Real Mallorca coach after his side crashed to a 2-0 defeat at Sporting Gijon on Sunday.

Dane Laudrup, now 46, started with a creditable 0-0 draw against old club Real on his debut but has yet to see his team score, let alone win.

Defender Alberto Botia opened the scoring on 47 minutes before Diego Castro struck a penalty four minutes from time with Portuguese defender Jose Nunes sent off for giving it away.

Laudrup’s old club Getafe, a creditable sixth last season, recorded their first win of the new season with a 4-1 home victory over promoted Levante.

Getafe scored twice in stoppage time to give the scoreline a flattering look and newcomers Levante have no points from their first two matches.

In other matches, Real Zaragoza were beaten 5-3 at home by Malaga who were 5-0 up after 34 minutes with Fernando (1, 27) and Juanmi Lopez (7, 29) both scoring a brace.

Zaragoza rallied in the second half with two goals to reduce the degree of embarrassment in the club’s first home game of the season.

Sevilla are in action on Sunday when they entertain Deportivo La Coruna looking to make it a maximum six points.

Deportivo have not won away in the league since November 2009 when they beat Racing Santander 1-0 and coach Miguel Angel Lotina is hoping for an end to the away blues.

Sevilla could join Atletico Madrid and Valencia — two of their rivals for a Champions League place — on six points at the league summit which has a strange look about it with neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid in the top two.

Barcelona are seventh after falling 2-0 at home to promoted Hercules on Saturday while Real are a point better off in third after defeating Osasuna 1-0 on Saturday in Jose Mourinho’s first win at the helm.