Villarreal cement their spot in sixth place

Villarreal beat Athletic Club 2-0 in the 19th round of Liga BBVA. Goals from Denis Cheryshev and Bruno Soriano sealed the points for Marcelino García Toral's side, allowing them to cement their position in sixth place and end the first round of fixtures in the European places; the Basque side, meanwhile, are in 13th.

Athletic started by pushing forwards in search of a goal, and Aritz Aduriz saw a shot saved by Sergio Asenjo. From this moment on, Villarreal took the initiative and created the best chances in the first period. Luciano Vietto was a thorn in the visitors' side with his speed and unpredictability, although the Rojiblancos' defence held strong. However, three minutes before the break, Denis Cheryshev put Villarreal ahead after beating Gorka Iraizoz with a classy finish.

The Yellows continued with their intense performance in the second half, which started with Cheryshev heading just over and Ikechuwku Uche hitting the post via a Mikel Rico deflection. Athletic had the chance to equalise through Iñaki Williams, however Asenjo was not to be beaten and Villarreal sealed the win from the penalty spot. Bruno stepped up and fired home to seal a win for the home side, who are now 15 games without defeat in all competitions.