Villarreal welcomed Getafe in La Liga with both sides looking to keep afloat with the leaders.
The Yellow Submarine were fourth in the table heading into the game, while Getafe sat sixth having lost at the weekend, which ended their four-match winning run.
However, Villarreal suffered their home defeat of the season as Getafe climbed to within a point of their rivals.
Read how the match unfolded in our live commentary below.
Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage from El Madrigal where Villarreal host Getafe in La Liga.
This match marks the first of a Spanish double bill with me tonight, later on I'll be bringing you Real Betis vs. Getafe.
My colleague Matt Law is also in La Liga action tonight. Right now he is covering Granada vs. Atletico Madrid, before turning his attention to Athletic Bilbao vs. Elche.
But back to our current focus, and it's time to give you the team news.
VILLARREAL XI: Asenjo, Musacchio, Dorado, Costa, Gaspar, Soriano, Cani, Aquino, Trigueros, Dos Santos, Pereira
Manager Marcelino Garcia is opting for a 4-4-2 tonight, with former Tottenham Hotspur forward Giovani dos Santos leading the line.
Garcia has made two changes to the side that thumped Valencia 4-1 on Sunday. Perez and Uche drop out of the first XI, with Javier Aquino and Jonathan Pereira coming in.
And here is their bench.
VILLARREAL BENCH: Iniguez, Juan, Pantic, Perbet, Perez, Pina Uche
Right, time for the visitors.
GETAFE XI: Moya, Alexis, Lago, Lopez, Valera, Martinez, Leon, Gimenez, Michel, Borja, Marica
Coach Luis Garcia looks to have selected a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ciprian Marica leading the line. Borja and Michel will anchor the midfield with Pedro Leon and Diego Castro operating the flanks and Gavilan in the hole.
He also makes four changes to the side who lost to Bilbao on Monday.
KICK OFF! We're underway at El Madrigal.
Villarreal are playing from right to left and wearing their all-yellow home strip. Getafe are the opposite and in all-blue.
GOAL! Villarreal 0-1 Getafe (Ciprian Marica)
Getafe take an early lead and it's an absolute howler from Villarreal. Musacchio goes to play a pass back to Asenjo on the edge of his own box but the pass is too short, the keeper then gets the ball stuck between his feet and leads to Marica tackling him and sliding the ball into an empty net. A horror start on Halloween for Villarreal.
Not a great start for Villarreal, but they are trying to find an instant response, but haven't been able to test Moya in the Getafe goal just yet.
Aquino whips the ball into the box for Villarreal, but it's easily cleared by the visitors.
Musacchio is penalised for pulling the shirt of Marica on the edge of the box. Good position for Getafe with this free kick just on the right corner of the box.
Pedro Leon curls a cross into the box, but it's easily dealt with by Iniguez, who hoofs the ball out.
We've had a quarter of an hour gone and in truth Getafe have been the better side. They have their tails up after the opening goal and are frustrating the hosts by keeping hold of possession.
Villarreal have given a lot of early fouls away in this match already.
CHANCE! Great opportunity for the hosts to level but they just don't shoot. Cani drifts from left to right across the area, dodging several challenges along the way, but his shot is blocked from close range. It bounces out to Bruno on the edge of the box but, again, his low drive is blocked by a sliding Getafe defender.
CLOSE! Villarreal upping the tempo now and it's Dos Santos who goes close. He nips in and pinches the ball off the feet of Rafa on the edge of the box and trips to dink it over the keeper into the near corner, but his chip is wide of the target.
Villarreal are screaming for a penalty as Perbet races onto a pass on the edge of the box and goes down under the challenge of the onrushing Moya. The striker looked as if he was playing for that one, and went down after the ball had been cleared away, with it looking as if there was minimal contact anyway.
Ah that was an opportunity and a half for the home side. Dos Santos is racing down the left, with his partner Perbet completely open in the middle of the box. Dos Santos tries to put a cross into him, but is off balance and scoops his pass straight into the arms of a grateful Moya.
Villarreal want another penalty as Iniguez flies in to try to connect with a corner but falls to the ground in a heap. Again, it's soft and the home side just seem desperate to get back on level terms as quick as they can.
Wasteful again from the hosts as Cani dribbles to the edge of the box and has several options on, but his pass is wayward and ends up on the far touchline, where a shot comes in from Pedro Leon but sails wide.
Villarreal have certainly had the attacking possession, but they just need to be more clinical if they are to get back into this match.
OFF THE LINE! It's one-way traffic at the moment, and a couple of ricoshays sees Dos Santos round the keeper and slot the ball towards the back of the net, but Alexis is there to clear it off the line.
Villarreal now have an indirect free kick from 12 yards out following a back pass. Cannot remember the last time I saw one of these in a professional game.
CHANCE! No way through a solid Getafe wall for the home side. Dos Santos has a crack initially, followed by Cani and then Bruno. All three efforts were blocked.
It's still Villarreal who are on top, but they just cannot seem to get a shot away and put in on target. The crowd are already getting annoyed, and Getafe are doing a wonderful job of frustrating the hosts.
RED CARD! Villarreal's task just got made a whole lot harder as Pablo Iniguez is sent off for bringing down Marica on the edge of the box. He was the last man, and it was a clear goalscoring opportunity.
CLOSE! Pedro Leon hits the initial free kick which bounces back off the wall, for Gavilan to then slam just wide of the near post.
A goal down already, and now a man down. Villarreal are going to really have to pull a rabbit out the hat here.
Villarreal are actually on the front foot again right now, despite having a man less. However, Getafe always seem to have so many men back, and just squeeze out the hosts.
We will have an extra minute at the end of this first half.
HALF TIME: Villarreal 0-1 Getafe
Villarreal dominated that first half, but had a shocking first and final five minutes. They went a goal down following a terrible defensive error after five minutes, and gifted Marica the opener, before Iniguez hacked down the striker as the last man to result in his sending off.
Getafe have frustrated Villarreal a lot in that first half, with the hosts just unable to break through. They may have been the better team, but Villarreal have hell of a lot to do if they are to get something from this game.
The teams are back out and ready for the second half.
KICK OFF! We're back underway.
YELLOW CARD Roberto Lago goes into the book for coming through the back of Pina.
YELLOW CARD Now Alexis goes into the book after tripping Cani. Getafe racking them up early in the half here.
Villarreal have started this half on top again, but it's more of the same as they fail to test Moya, and Getafe shut them out.
VILLARREAL CHANGE Trigueros comes on for Durado.
Dorado's game lasted just seven minutes, having replaced Aquino at the break, but he was unable to shake off that injury there. More bad news for Garcia.
Still Villarreal dictate the play. Getafe seem to have set out to protect their lead and then try to catch their opponents on the break, although they haven't done too much of the latter yet.
Getafe look as if they are about to make a change, there first of the match.
Castro hits a shot from 25 yards and gets pretty good connection on it. But Asenjo can hold the low effort.
Dos Santos is taken out on the touchline by Rafa, and Villarreal have a free kick in a great position.
It's crossed into the near post but headed over by Costa.
GETAFE CHANGE Lago is replaced by Escudero.
VILLARREAL CHANGE Third and final alteration for the hosts as Uche takes the place of Perpet.
Villarreal have two corners in quick succession, but fail to convert either of them.
GETAFE CHANGE Marica, the goalscorer, is replaced by Lafita.
SAVE! Getafe have a wonderful chance to finish the game off as Castro is slotted in down the left. He makes his way into the area before trying to slot the ball with the outside of his boot into the far corner, but Asenjo makes a save with his legs.
Getafe had another chance to double their lead, as Lafita took it wide of the flailing Asenjo, but his pass to a free man was intercepted by Costa who raced out of danger.
The momentum seems to have shifted into the hands of Getafe.
Growing frustrations for the Villarreal fans as the referee decides against awarded them a free kick after Trigueros went down under a challenge.
YELLOW CARD Trigueros beats Borja and is then floored to the ground. Borja gets a yellow.
Getafe about to make their final change.
MISS! That was the opportunity for Villarreal and they fail to take it! Cani hit's a long ball forward to the left just outside the area, where Dos Santos shrugs off his marker and crosses to the far post. Uche is unmarked as he gets it under control, but then panics and blasts his shot into the side-netting. Huge waste.
GETAFE CHANGE Final substitution for the visitors with Castro making way for Pablo Sarabia.
Despite only having 10 men, Villarreal have continued to be the better side and are still attacking now with just a few minutes to go.
They have been the better side and don't deserve to lose, but at the moment, they are.
Getafe have a man down inside the box, but Villarreal aren't buying it and have two players trying to drag him to his feet.
We will have four minutes of added time.
GOAL! Villarreal 0-2 Getafe (Pablo Sarabia)
Game, set and match Getafe. Villarreal are caught on the break and Sarabia is played into a huge amount of space. He draws out the keeper before chipping it over his head from the edge of the box and into the back of the net.
FULL TIME: Villarreal 0-2 Getafe
So 10-man Villarreal gave their all but they slip to a 2-0 defeat to Getafe after goals in either half from Ciprian Marica and Pablo Sarabia.
That's all from me for this match, I'm dashing off to Real Betis vs. Levante. Adios!
Written by
Matt Cotton
Matt Cotton
