Villarreal take step closer to Champions League return

Villarreal strenghtened their hold on fourth place in the Liga BBVA and returned to winning ways after two defeats and two draws, overturning an early opener from Eibar. The hosts slumped to their seventh game without a victory.

Bruno Soriano

It was a special day for Villarreal captain Bruno Soriano as he made his 364th official appearance for the club. He passed Marcos Senna to become the player with the most appearances in Villarreal's history.

.@VillarrealCF captain Bruno Soriano sets a club appearances record at Eibar. #EIBvVIL pic.twitter.com/YQsmtxs8VJ

— LaLiga (@LaLigaEN) April 3, 2016

Capa opener  

Eibar struck first after a well-worked move down the left flank. Jota drove to the baseline and crossed low into the box. The ball was only partially cleared to the edge of the area, where Capa met it with a fierce drive which deflected off a defender and into the roof of the net. It was the midfielder’s second goal of the season.

Adrian equaliser

Villarreal slowly started to play their way out of Eibar’s intense pressuring straightjacket. The visitors levelled after a typically slick passing move. Denis Suarez picked out Roberto Soldado’s darting run into the area and the striker fired goalwards. Asier Riesgo could only parry, and Adrian Lopez stole in at the back post to net his second this season.

Soldado winner

It was the same attacking trio who scored Villarreal’s second straight after the restart. Adrian broke forward in midfield laying the ball out to the right for Suarez. His low cross hit a defender and Soldado was quickest to react in the six-yard box, firing hiring into the net for his fifth of the campaign.