Villarreal demolished Atletico Madrid 5-1 at home to secure third place in La Liga, with Ayoze Pérez scoring twice in a dominant attacking display.
Villarreal delivered a stunning performance on May 24, dismantling Atletico Madrid with five goals to move three points clear of their visitors in the title race. The Yellow Submarine controlled the contest from start to finish, with Pérez leading a clinical finishing display that left the visitors searching for answers.
The hosts entered the match sitting third with 72 points from 38 games. Atletico arrived fourth on 69 points, trailing by three. Both sides came into this clash in mixed form, but Villarreal's recent record suggested momentum was building in their favor.
Villarreal struck first in the 30th minute when Dani Parejo converted a penalty kick. The midfielder stepped up confidently and fired past the goalkeeper to give the home side an early advantage.
Four minutes later, Pérez doubled the lead. The forward struck in the 34th minute to put Villarreal firmly in control. The Yellow Submarine's attacking intent was clear and relentless.
Georges Mikautadze extended the advantage in the 40th minute with a well-taken finish. Villarreal's dominance was reflected on the scoreboard as they built a commanding three-goal cushion before halftime.
Atletico pulled one back in the 43rd minute through Mateo Pubill. The goal offered brief hope for a comeback, but it proved merely a consolation as the visitors remained well behind.
Pape Gueye added a fourth for Villarreal just before the break in the 45th minute. The hosts went into halftime leading 4-1, having delivered a masterclass in attacking football.
The second half saw Villarreal continue their dominance without mercy. Pérez completed his double in the 54th minute, securing the fifth goal and a personal two-goal haul. His performance earned him a match rating of 9.5, the highest on the pitch.
Atletico created limited chances throughout. They managed only four shots on target compared to Villarreal's eight. The visitors' possession advantage of 52 percent proved meaningless against the hosts' clinical finishing.
Villarreal controlled the match with 501 passes at 86 percent accuracy. Atletico completed 467 passes at 88 percent accuracy but could not translate possession into goals. The hosts generated an expected goals total of 2.45, while Atletico managed just 1.16.
This victory moves Villarreal to 75 points with one match remaining, securing their third-place finish. Atletico's defeat leaves them fourth on 69 points, unable to close the gap on the leaders.
