Villarreal thrash Sociedad, close in on top 4

Villarreal enhanced their prospects of playing Champions League football next season with a 5-1 thrashing of Real Sociedad at El Madrigal on Monday. Sociedad had come into the game on the back of five straight league wins, but a double from Giovanni dos Santos added to a strike from Nigerian Ikechukwu Uche had the hosts 3-0 up inside 33 minutes. Uche then took his tally to five goals in his last two games with another neat finish 10 minutes after half-time. Young midfielder Moi Gomez made it 5-0 at the end of another fine team move just before the hour mark before Imanol Agirretxe pulled back a consolation goal for the visitors. Villarreal are now just two points behind Athletic Bilbao in the fourth place with Sociedad a further two points behind in sixth. Source: AFP