Villarreal came alive after a lackluster first half to secure a 3-1 victory over Alavés at the Estadio de la Cerámica, extending their unbeaten home record against the Basque side to six games in LaLiga.

Despite entering the match as heavy favourites, Villarreal struggled to impose themselves in the opening 45 minutes. It was the relegation-threatened visitors who arguably edged the first half, although chances were scarce at both ends.

Alavés defended resolutely, limiting opportunities for a Yellow Submarine side that came into the game as the joint-third highest scorers in LaLiga this season. Villarreal’s first notable effort came just after the half-hour mark, when Georges Mikautadze’s shot from inside the box narrowly missed the right post. By halftime, the home team had yet to register a shot on target — a concerning statistic for a side aiming for UEFA Champions League qualification next season.

The second half, however, was a different story. Villarreal took the lead in the 50th minute, when Alberto Moleiro collected a loose ball outside the box and curled a sublime right-footed shot into the top right-hand corner. Just seven minutes later, they doubled their advantage. Antonio Sivera managed to parry a cross only for Gerard Moreno to slot home a first-time finish into the bottom left-hand corner.

With Alavés visibly deflated, Villarreal sealed the win inside the final 15 minutes. Moleiro turned provider once again, threading a pass to Mikautadze, who dinked the ball over the goalkeeper to complete a clinical second-half display. Alavés did pull one back late through Toni Martínez, but it was too little, too late to threaten the outcome.

The victory keeps Villarreal firmly in third place, maintaining hopes of challenging for the title, while Alavés drop to 15th, just three points clear of the relegation zone.