Villarreal inflicts heaviest defeat of Espanyol in La Liga this season

VILLARREAL (SPAIN): (Feb 10) (AP) Villarreal scored twice in each half to hammer Espanyol 4-1 in La Liga and hand the Catalan club its heaviest defeat of the season.

The result ended a poor run which had seen Villarreal take one point from its previous three games. The win lifted it to equal on points with third-placed Atletico Madrid and seven ahead of Real Betis, although Villareal has a game in hand on both.

Georges Mikautadze gave Villarreal the lead 10 minutes before halftime when he met Tajon Buchanan’s perfectly cushioned header and fired home a spectacular scissor kick.