BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Ruben "Cani" Garcia scored from the halfway line to help Villarreal to a 4-2 win over Osasuna on Saturday and solidify its hold on third place at the midway point of the Spanish season.
Three minutes after Krisztian Vadocz's 47th-minute header canceled out Marco Ruben's opener for Villarreal, Cani caught goalkeeper Ricardo Lopez off his line and beat him with a lob from 50 yards out.
Joan Capdevila made it 3-1 for Villarreal in the 65th and substitute Javier Calleja added drama to the match with Osasuna's second in the 71st, but Gonzalo Rodriguez sealed the win with a late header.
Villarreal's first win over Osasuna at El Madrigal in four seasons provisionally lifted the "Yellow Submarine" five points clear of fourth-place Valencia.
"It is not easy to maintain this level and keep winning," said coach Juan Carlos Garrido, whose Villarreal remained unbeaten at home with nine wins and one draw.
Garrido said his team's success was based on "knowing how to suffer and fight for each game."
Also, Athletic Bilbao held off Racing Santander 2-1, Real Sociedad routed Getafe 4-0, Sporting Gijon beat Hercules 2-0 and Zaragoza edged Levante 1-0.
Later, fifth-place Espanyol visits a resurgent Sevilla.
Bilbao provisionally jumped into sixth place through its seventh win of the season at San Mames Stadium.
Spain midfielder Javier Martinez, who scored a similar header to give Bilbao a draw last week, put his team ahead in the seventh flicking on a free kick with his back to the goal to beat Racing 'keeper Antonio Rodriguez.
Eighteen-year-old Iker Muniain doubled Bilbao's advantage three minutes later with a hard volley off a low cross from strike partner Gaizka Toquero.
Racing's Ivan Bolado grabbed one back in the 75th, heading in a free kick by Kennedy Bakircioglu, but Bilbao resisted to claim the three points.
At Alfonso Perez Coliseum, Real Sociedad ended its four-game losing streak to move into 11th place with a goal and two assists from midfielder Xabier Prieto.
Getafe was the stronger team early, but Prieto scored his sixth goal of the season to put Sociedad in front from the penalty spot in the 10th after defender Miguel Torres handled in the area.
Antoine Griezmann volleyed in a cross from striker Joseba Llorente to give the Basques their second goal in the 32nd, and Mikel Gonzalez added the third in the 87th with a left-footed shot from a pass by Prieto, who also set up Mikel Aranburu to cap the rout in the 90th.
"Of the four or five areas we tried to focus on - free kicks, transitions from defense to attack, defending well and protecting leads - today we resolved these situations well," said Sociedad coach Martin Lasarte.
Another team in need of a victory, Sporting Gijon got its first win in 12 weeks to provisionally move out of the relegation zone and into 17th place.
David Barral scored Sporting's first-minute opener heading in Roberto Canella's cross at the far post, and Nacho Cases doubled the lead with a left-footed strike from outside the area that left Hercules goalkeeper Juan Calatayud with no chance.
Zaragoza also rebounded from last week's 4-0 thrashing by Espanyol to climb out of last place.
Gabriel Fernandez's goal at the end of the first half proved to be the winner.
Fernandez charged forward with the ball before firing from the edge of the area.
Levante goalie Manuel Reina got a touch on the ball but could not keep it out. Levante has lost four straight and fell into 19th place, level on 19 points with Zaragoza and Sporting.
On Sunday, league leader Barcelona looks to break the club's record of 27 games without a loss against a Malaga squad full of winter reinforcements, while Real Madrid visits Almeria sitting just two points behind the title holders.
Valencia plays Deportivo La Coruna in Sunday's late game, and Atletico Madrid receives Mallorca on Monday to close round 19.
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