Madrid - Villarreal reclaimed second place in the Spanish Liga on Sunday with a 2-1 win away to bottom team Recreativo Huelva. Villarreal won thanks to first-half goals from midfielders Santi Cazorla and Ariel Ibagaza - and thanks to Huelva's lack of bite in attack.
Cazorla gave Villarreal the lead in the 27th minute with a fierce long drive, which took a wicked deflection off defender Cesar Arzo. Just before half-time Ibagaza made it 2-0 with a classy free-kick.
Seven minutes from time Adrian Colunga pulled a goal back for Huelva from the penalty spot, after Pascal Cygan had clumsily pulled down Marco Ruben.
But this goal came too late to save Huelva, who have just seven points from 13 games.
Villarreal, in contrast, now have 28, four less than leaders Barcelona, who convincingly thrashed Sevilla 3-0 on Saturday.
Villarreal are now two two points ahead of third-placed Real Madrid, who crashed 3-1 in Getafe on Saturday.
Valencia - currently joint fourth with Sevilla on 24 - will go third if they beat Betis at home later on Sunday.
Valencia and Sevilla are three points ahead of sixth-placed Deportivo Coruna, who won 1-0 in Almeria thanks to a goal 14 minutes from time from Joan Verdu.
Verdu thus quickly made amends for missing a penalty eight minutes earlier.
"It was wonderful to score the only goal," said Verdu, "straight after I'd made a mess of that penalty."
Valladolid, meanwhile, were moving up to seventh by thrashing Mallorca 3-0.
Malaga, for their part, hammered troubled Osasuna 4-2, making it another bad Sunday for former Spain manager Jose Antonio Camacho.
Osasuna are second from bottom, just one point above Huelva. Then come Numancia, who crashed 2-0 away to Athletic Bilbao on two goals from new Spain striker Fernando Llorente.
Bilbao are now joint fourth from bottom, level on 12 points with Espanyol, who lost 1-0 at home to revitalized Sporting Gijon. The latest defeat could mean the sack for Espanyol coach Bartolome Marquez.
