Villarreal (Spain), Apr 18 (IANS): Villarreal defeated Leganes 2-1 here to end a three-game winless streak and consolidate their hold on the final European berth in La Liga.

The hosts were more dominant on Tuesday than the score would indicate as Leganes showed little initiative or creativity on the attack, reports EFE news agency.

The visitors, however, were well organized defensively and withstood high-energy Villarreal until the 42nd minute, when Victor Ruiz came from nowhere to put the ball in the Leganes net after the keeper made the initial stop after a corner.

Leganes were a bit more daring in the second half, creating empty spaces for Villarreal to exploit on the counter and one such occasion resulted in a goal for Baca in the 55th minute to make it 2-0 for the home side.

The visitors finally got on the board in the 82nd minute, courtesy of a solid individual effort by Brisance.

The victory lifts sixth-place Villarreal to 51 points from 33 matches, just one behind Betas in the fifth spot. Leganes, with 39 points, sit 14th, a dozen points above the relegation zone.