Eibar moved to within three points of Villarreal in the battle for European places with a narrow victory on Wednesday night at Ipurua.
Kike notched the winner in the 16th minute of the tie and despite a flurry of chances for both sides, the Basque side held on for a crucial three points.
The result saw Javi Calleja’s side slip one place to sixth and just one spot and three points above Eibar, who have temporarily moved into seventh – which is likely to secure a place in the Europa League next season.
Next up for Villarreal is a home clash with Girona on Saturday while Eibar travel to Deportivo the following day.
