MADRID (AP) - With a Europa league berth already secured, Villarreal rolled to a 4-0 win over 10-man Rayo Vallecano in its last home game of the Spanish league on Saturday.
Ikechuwku Uche and Bruno Soriano scored in the first half and Jonathan Pereira struck in the 55th minute in the romp at El Madrigal Stadium.
Rayo was left with 10 men when Anaitz Arbilla earned a direct red card for fouling Moi Gomez who had only the goalkeeper to beat in the 63rd. Jaume Costa capped the demolition a minute later.
Villarreal is in seventh place, two points behind Sociedad. If Villarreal finishes above Sociedad it will avoid a playoff to reach the Europa League group phase.
Also, Levante beat Valencia 2-0 to sit one round away from finishing above its city rival for the first time in history.
Angel Rodriguez opened in the 70th before Andreas Ivanschitz added the second in the 81st and the hosts hung on despite Pedro Lopez’s red card with two minutes remaining.
Levante is eighth, two points above Valencia.
A moment of silence was observed at both stadiums before kickoff for the death of five members of a youth football team in a traffic accident on Friday.
Atletico Madrid could be crowned league champion with a victory against Malaga on Sunday if Barcelona fails to win at Elche. If not, the league title would be decided in the final round when Barcelona hosts Atletico at Camp Nou.
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