Villarreal set club-record LaLiga first half to consolidate third place | OneFootball

Villarreal have recorded the best first half of a LaLiga season in their history, beating Deportivo Alavés to strengthen third place despite Champions League and Copa del Rey setbacks.

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, Marcelino García Toral’s side have 41 points from 18 matches, with the Levante game still to be played after a weather alert. That surpasses their previous benchmark, reached with 19 games in 2010/11 under Juan Carlos Garrido and in 2015/16 with Marcelino.

In LaLiga they have lost only to Real Madrid, Atlético and leaders Barcelona, the latter at La Cerámica, and have otherwise been near perfect at home. Early home wins over Oviedo and Girona set the tone, followed by runs of three and then six consecutive victories, interrupted by a postponement in Valencia.

They ended 2025 with defeat by Barcelona, then opened 2026 with a statement win in Elche, where nobody had won. The mental and physical strain of other competitions has not knocked them off course in the league.

Despite serious pre-season injuries to Kambwala and Logan Costa, fitness issues for Juan Foyth and Mikautadze’s adaptation, the results have endured. Alberto Moleiro has 8 goals and 3 assists, Luiz Júnior has steadied the goal, and the team have matched 37 first-half goals from 2013/14 with one game to improve it, edging closer to back-to-back Champions League qualification for the first time.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo