Rossi, Nilmar help Villareal to first win

Sevilla maintain unbeaten run, Real Sociedad beat Granada in La Liga.

MADRID: A Giuseppe Rossi strike helped Villarreal to their first win of the La Liga season as they beat Mallorca 2-0 after a disappointing start to the season.

Villarreal responded against Mallorca with a far more assured display after having picked up only one point ahead of the game. Brazil forward Nilmar burst through on goal in the first minute but he over-ran the ball and then minutes later Rossi was a lot more clinical as he slipped the ball over the keeper.Nilmar made it 2-0 in the second half when he rounded the goal-keeper and fired into an empty net.

Earlier, Sevilla maintained their unbeaten run as they hung on for a 0-0 draw at Osasuna. The hosts had plenty to prove after their 8-0 thrashing by Barcelona at the weekend and attacked from the outset, though they failed to convert their chances.

Real Sociedad, meanwhile, beat Granada 1-0 in fortuitous circumstances with a Daniel Estrada cross catching out the goal-keeper Roberto Fernandez who had come off his line.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd,  2011.