The China Mail - Moleiro shining as Villarreal make up La Liga ground after cup failures

They host Alaves on Saturday as they bid to put pressure on the top two and keep an unlikely title dream alive, with Moleiro in fine form after stepping into the sizeable shoes of playmaker Alex Baena.

With leaders Barcelona and second-placed Real Madrid participating in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, Villarreal can close the gap on the giants ahead of them.

Marcelino Garcia Toral's third-placed side have played two fewer matches than Barca and Madrid, trailing those sides by 11 and seven points respectively.

By beating Alaves this weekend, and Levante in a match yet to be rescheduled, they could reel Barcelona in to just a five-point gap.

Villarreal are aiming to qualify for the Champions League in successive seasons for the first time in their history, and although the chances of winning a first Liga title are slim, there is still a faint hope.

With Barca and Madrid fighting on several fronts, Villarreal are able to spend all their energy on the Spanish top flight.

They do still have two Champions League matches remaining but are 35th in the league phase table and almost certainly cannot qualify for the next round.

Villarreal also crashed out of the Copa del Rey with a 2-1 defeat at second-division Racing Santander.

Despite their shambolic form in cup competitions, it has been a different story in La Liga.

They won six straight games in the top flight before a disappointing 2-0 defeat by Barcelona to end 2025, but got back to winning ways at Elche in the first game of the new year.

Moleiro, 22, was on target and has seven goals and two assists this season in 17 league appearances.

After Baena left for Atletico Madrid, fourth, in the summer, Villarreal pounced to sign him from relegated Las Palmas.

"To be honest, I don't think about goals, I just try to play and help out however I can," said Moleiro after netting in the 3-1 win at Elche.

He has already scored one more this season than he managed in the previous campaign, and along with other talented forwards like Nicolas Pepe, Ayoze Perez and Georges Mikautadze, helps make Villarreal one of the most attractive teams in the division to watch.

"I think I can do more and I have room to improve, and I hope to show that," said Moleiro towards the end of last year.

With a home game against Real Madrid approaching on January 24, Moleiro and Villarreal will be looking to kick on and come into that match in a position to usurp the second-placed Los Blancos.

Player to watch: Antony

Real Betis are looking to bounce back from a 5-1 thrashing by Real Madrid last weekend and winger Antony is aiming to end a three-match spell without a goal when they visit struggling Real Oviedo on Saturday. The Brazilian's dynamism could be crucial in breaking through, given Oviedo have drawn their last four home games 0-0.

Key stats

3 - teams playing this weekend who won their last La Liga match

5 - league games without tasting victory for struggling Valencia

8 - goals scored this season by bottom side Real Oviedo, the only team still in single figures

Fixtures

Friday (all times GMT)

Getafe v Real Sociedad (2000)

Saturday

Real Oviedo v Real Betis (1300), Villarreal v Alaves (1515), Girona v Osasuna (1730), Valencia v Elche (2000)

Sunday

Rayo Vallecano v Mallorca (1300), Levante v Espanyol (1515)

Monday

Sevilla v Celta Vigo (2000)

P.Ho--ThChM