The race for the final Champions League place is on. After Real Sociedad three away a two-goal lead to draw to Girona, Villarreal closed the gap to five points, following a comprehensive 5-1 victory over Athletic Club at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
With only four games remaining, it will still be a tough task for Villarreal to finish in the top four, but with La Real still to play Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and a resurgent Sevilla, the battle for fourth could come down to the wire.
Speaking after the victory over Athletic (via Diario AS), Villarreal head coach Quique Setien insisted that his side will look to keep the pressure on La Real.
“La Real depends on themselves, but we will keep an eye on them. We will try to win the games we have and if they fail, we will be there. We’re not going to give up. We have managed to extend our lead over Athletic and Girona and that is always good. Europe is almost done.”
Villarreal have a tough run-in themselves, facing the likes of Atletico, Girona and Rayo Vallecano, but they will hope to keep battling away to maintain their Champions League hopes.
