Villarreal – Espanyol, getty images February 10, 2026, 12:05 AM

Villarreal confidently ended their run of defeats in the Spanish league by defeating Espanyol at home in La Liga. Marcelino’s team seized the initiative from the first minutes and completely controlled the course of the match at the La Ceramica stadium.

The hosts opened the scoring in the middle of the first half. After a cross from Buchanan’s wing, Giorgi Mikoutadze sent the ball into Dmytrovych’s net with a spectacular free kick. Soon after, Villarreal doubled the advantage — Moleiro broke into the penalty area, after which the ball ricocheted off Salinas and ended up in the visitors’ own goal.

After the break, the yellow submarine did not slow down. At the beginning of the second half, Nicolas Pepe took advantage of a defensive error and scored a crushing goal with an accurate shot. The final point in the match was put by Leandro Cabrera, who distinguished himself with a goal at the end of the meeting, but this ball did not affect the overall course of the game.

The win moved Villarreal level on points with Atletico Madrid in the La Liga standings with a game in hand.

Villarreal – Espanyol 4:1
Goals: Mikautadze, 35, Salinas (ag), 41, Pepe, 50, Moleiro, 55 – Cabrera, 88

Villarreal: Junior — Mourinho (Freeman, 73), Navarro, Veiga, Cardona — Pepe, Parejo (Comesanya, 65), Guye, Moleiro (Lopez, 80) — Moreno, Mikoutadze (Oluwasei, 73)

Espanyol: Dmitrovich — El Hilali, Calero (Ridel, 48), Cabrera, Salinas — Gonzalez — Milla (Rocca, 72), Esposito (Pikel, 59), Losano, Dolan (Ngonge, 59) — Fernandez (Garcia, 59)

Warning: Buchanan, Gouet, Cardona — Salinas, Esposito, Riedel