Espanyol beat Villarreal 1-0 under interim Sergio García to end six-game winless run

Espanyol secured a 1-0 away victory against Villarreal at the Estadio de la Cerámica to end a six-game winless run. Interim manager and B-team coach Sergio García took charge of the team following the dismissal of Manolo González three days earlier. Leandro Cabrera scored the decisive goal in the 60th minute off an assist from Bryan Zaragoza, while goalkeeper Ángel Fortuño made crucial saves to preserve the narrow lead.

Villarreal dominated possession and generated 14 shots but failed to score, suffering an early setback when Gerard Moreno exited with a muscle injury. Incoming Espanyol head coach Eder Sarabia, appointed earlier in the week, missed the match due to a suspension. The win moved Espanyol up to 12th place in LaLiga with 11 points, while Villarreal remained in 10th with 12 points.