Seville, Spain – Javier Camunas scored in the 80th minute and 1 La Liga win Sunday over Sevilla at the Sanchez Pizjuan.
Villarreal won just three of its first 18 fixtures this season, but a win over Sporting Gijon and a draw against Barcelona was followed by its first road win in 11 games this season.
The Yellow Submarines moved out of the relegation zone to 16th, although just one point above 18th-place Granada, which hosts Malaga on Monday.
Borja Valero handed Villarreal the lead after 20 minutes, but Jesus Navas tied the match at 1-all in the 33rd.
Camunas found the match-winner 10 minutes from time off a pass from Cani as he beat Sevilla goalie Javi Varas for his first goal for Villarreal.
Villarreal lost Joan Oriol to a second yellow card in extra time, but its lead held as Jose Francisco Molina's club improved to 2-1-2 under his leadership.
Sevilla lost for the fourth time in 11 home matches, and it sits just 11th and only four points above the relegation zone.
Atletico Madrid 0, Valencia 0
Madrid, Spain - Valencia restored its five-point cushion for third place and an automatic Champions League berth Sunday, as it held Atletico Madrid 0-0 at the Vicente Calderon.
Valencia is winless in five straight, but four of those results are draws, and it remains comfortably in the third spot behind leader Real Madrid and second- place Barcelona.
Atletico Madrid had won three straight, but still extended its unbeaten run to five in a row, as it moved level with Athletic Bilbao for sixth and a European berth.
The teams combined for just four shots on goal, three from Atletico.
Rayo Vallecano 2, Real Zaragoza 1
Aragon, Spain - Michu's eighth goal this season capped Rayo Vallecano's come- from-behind 2-1 win over Real Zaragoza on Sunday at Estadio La Romareda in La Liga.
Helder Postiga put Zaragoza in front after 33 minutes, but Diego Costa scored in the 75th to tie the match, and Michu followed the game-winner in the 81st.
Vallecano snapped a two-game losing skid and climbed five points clear of the relegation zone. Zaragoza remained cemented on the bottom of the table as its winless streak reached 13 matches.
Sporting Gijon 1, Osasuna 1
Gijon, Spain - Dejan Lekic scored in the 77th minute as Osasuna tied Sporting Gijon 1-1 on Sunday at El Molinon, but its La Liga winless run still reached five matches.
Gonzalez Carmelo fired Gijon into the lead in the 33rd minute, but the bottom- three side failed to hold the lead as its winless streak reached three games.
Osasuna remained in the top half in ninth. Gijon is just one spot off the foot of the table in 19th.