LFP
Capdevila punishes wayward Villarreal
Reuters, Madrid
Two goals from Deportivo La Coruna defender Joan Capdevila condemned mis-firing Villarreal to a 2-0 away defeat in the Primera Liga on Saturday. Capdevila put Depor ahead after only four minutes with a spectacular long-range strike and sealed the win from close range midway through the second half. Villarreal, last year's Champions League semifinalists, have yet to score in the league this season and rarely looked like breaking their duck. Depor have moved top of the table with seven points from three starts, while Villarreal are 16th with just one. The rest of the weekend matches are on Sunday with champions Barcelona visiting Racing Santander looking to make it three wins from three. Sevilla host city rivals Real Betis in the Seville derby, Getafe visit Valencia, and Real Madrid host Real Sociedad. Saturday's game had barely started when Depor fullback Capdevila advanced towards the edge of the area and let fly with a dipping left-foot shot that flew over goalkeeper Sebastian Viera into the top corner. That set the tone for the rest of the half as Depor's hustling aggression and shoot-on-sight policy unsettled the visitors at every turn. Depor coach Joaquin Caparros completely rebuilt his side during the close season and they showed greater hunger throughout the game. Before the break, Villarreal only threatened from set-pieces and the boot of Argentine forward Juan Roman Riquelme, who retired from international football during the week. Villarreal showed greater purpose in the second half, putting Depor's youthful side under pressure and forcing their keeper Dudu Aouate into some sharp saves. Guillermo Franco, Riquelme and substitute Jose Mari were all denied by Aouate but poor defending in the 67th-minute allowed Capdevila to double Depor's lead as Villarreal failed to clear Riki's free-kick
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