Villarreal secured their place in the Champions League qualifying round with a 2-0 win at local rivals Valencia on Sunday, guaranteeing fourth place in La Liga.
Samu Garcia and Adrian Lopez scored in the first halffollowing assists from the outstanding Roberto Soldado as Villarreal moved up to 64 points, six clear of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao with a superior head-to-head record.
Villarreal remain in the hunt for the Europa League titleafter beating Liverpool 1-0 at home in their semi-final first leg and could qualify for the Champions League group stage rather than the playoffs if they win that competition.
The Spanish side reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2006, but have not featured in the continent's most prestigious club competition since their quarter-final elimination by Arsenal in 2009.
