Villarreal's Champions League hopes have been all but ended this evening as they fell to a 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Espanyol.
The result sees their winless streak stretch to six matches in all competitions, while Espanyol win for the first time in six to climb into the top half of the table.
It was the visitors who created the first chance of the match when Sergio Garcia met a cross into the box, but he couldn't keep his volley down as it flew over the crossbar.
Garcia turned provider eight minutes later when he found Victor Alvarez inside the area, but the Espanyol man was thwarted by Sergio Asenjo in the Villarreal goal.
Asenjo will feel that he should have done better with one midway through the first half, however, as the visitors opened the scoring in untidy fashion. The keeper made an initial save to deny Lucas Vazquez from a free kick, but his weak attempt to punch it clear ricocheted off Felipe Caicedo and in.
The hosts began the second half strongly as they searched for an equaliser, with Kiko Casilla called into action to keep out a Manu Trigueros header.
Casilla denied Trigueros again shortly after the hour mark, although the midfielder's effort was straight at the keeper after Giovani dos Santos's free kick had been saved.
It was the visitors who got the second of the game, however, and again it was Caicedo who struck, turning Mateo Musacchio on the edge of the box before beating Asenjo at his near post.
Espanyol then compounded the home side's misery with a killer third goal as Alvarez's delivery was tucked away by Victor Sanchez from close range.
The hosts did have a chance to pull one back shortly after the third, but Trigueros again squandered the opportunity as Espanyol ran out comfortable winners.
Barney Corkhill
