Villarreal climbed into fifth place in La Liga on Sunday with a narrow 1-0 victory over Espanyol, significantly enhancing their chances of securing Champions League football next season.
Yeremy Pino netted the only goal of the match early in the second half, putting Villarreal one point ahead of Real Betis in the standings.
The win was particularly valuable given that the top five teams in Spain this season will qualify for Europe’s premier competition.
Marcelino Garcia Toral’s men had to withstand late pressure from an in-form Espanyol side, currently 13th in the table, during the closing stages of a tense encounter.
The fixture had originally been scheduled for March but was postponed due to severe weather warnings. Sunday’s triumph marked only Villarreal’s second win in their last five league outings, offering a timely morale boost with just five matches remaining in their campaign.
