Adrian Lopez and Roberto Soldado scored a goal each as Villarreal came from behind to defeat Sociedad Deportiva Eibar 2-1 and snap a four-game winless streak in La Liga on Sunday, securing their grip on fourth place.
Ander Capa gave the hosts the lead in the 22nd minute, but Lopez equalized in the 35th and Soldado scored the winner in the 50th.
The win gave Villarreal an eight-point advantage over fifth-placed RC Celta de Vigo.
Photo: EPA
The top three teams automatically qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season, while the fourth-placed club faces an extra qualifying round.
La Liga has seven rounds left.
Villarreal are 12 points behind third-placed Real Madrid and 13 points behind second-placed Atletico Madrid.
Sixth-placed Athletic Bilbao missed a chance to remain close to Villarreal after conceding a late equalizer in a 1-1 home draw against struggling Granada, dropping nine points behind fourth place.
Seventh-placed Sevilla missed a chance to move to within six points of Villarreal after losing 2-1 to Real Sociedad at home, a result that snapped the team’s 13-game winning streak at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
Villarreal had not won since a 3-0 result against last-placed Levante UD in February. Since then, they had lost twice and drawn twice, including 2-2 at home against Barcelona in the previous round.
“We knew that it was going to be difficult to play against Eibar in this stadium. They have been doing well here,” Villarreal captain Bruno said. “We were prepared and played well. We have to enjoy this win.”
After Capa opened the scoring by latching onto a loose ball inside the Villarreal area, Lopez equalized off the rebound of a Soldado strike from close range before Soldado netted the winner early in the second half after a ball deflected toward him inside the area.
“We just were not lucky in the final few meters and they ended leaving with the victory,” Capa said.
Elsewhere, mid-table clubs Malaga and RCD Espanyol drew 1-1 in Malaga. Neither team has lost in the past four rounds.
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