In a one-sided affair at the Estadio de la Cerámica, Villarreal cruised to a 5-0 victory over Levante. The win significantly boosts their chances of fighting for a top-four finish. Their forwards were in peak form, overwhelming the opposition with an aggressive offensive strategy. A double from Gerard Moreno, combined with goals from Boulaye Dia, Pau Torres, and Manu Trigueros, secured the win. With this result, Villarreal now sits in eighth place with 28 points.
The breakthrough came early via a well-executed header by Boulaye Dia. Just five minutes later, Pau Torres made it 2-0, firing a left-footed shot into the bottom corner after Vicente Iborra nodded the ball across from a corner kick. Levante struggled to create any real danger; despite their efforts to attack, Villarreal's backline remained impenetrable, limiting the visitors to just three shots on target.
Gerard Moreno added a third with a clinical left-footed strike from the heart of the penalty area. Later, a clever cross from Dia found Manu Trigueros, who scored a stunning long-range effort into the top right corner. The rout was completed by Moreno, who slotted home his second goal of the match from point-blank range.
Sevilla tightened the title race by securing a narrow 1-0 victory over Cadiz at the Nuevo Mirandilla. The decisive moment came in the second half when Lucas Ocampos scored the only goal of the game, propelling Sevilla into second place, now just five points behind Real Madrid. The door was opened for Sevilla after Real Madrid suffered a setback against Getafe, a loss that ended Madrid's impressive 15-match unbeaten streak across all tournaments.
Despite missing several key figures—including the suspended Jules Kunde and injured stars like Suso Fernandez, Erik Lamela, and Jesus Navas—Sevilla maintained a strong attacking presence. They nearly scored early on when Joan Jordan's effort beat the keeper but rattled off the post.
Sevilla's persistence eventually paid off as they worked together to break down a stubborn Cadiz defense. The deadlock was finally broken in the 58th minute. After Ivan Romero recovered a loose ball in the box and fed Ivan Rakitic, Rakitic played a quick one-touch pass to Ocampos, who managed to fire home a difficult shot from a tight angle.
With this win, Sevilla has established an eight-point cushion over third-place Real Betis, while Atletico Madrid follows in fourth with 32 points. At the opposite end of the table, Levante and Cadiz are struggling in the relegation zone with 8 and 14 points respectively.