Villarreal coach Unai Emery was delighted with their 2-0 win against Real Betis.
Arnaut Danjuma struck both goals for the Yellow Submarine.
Emery later said: “We knew this match was key because it is against a direct rival. Last year, these matches against direct opponents were great experience. This year, they're a direct rival. Winning today, even though it's a long season, was important. The team is very focused. Without a striker, we tried to find a structure where we were comfortable. It's another brick in the structure we're building.
“Playing well helps you win, and winning gives you confidence. The draws were penalizing us. The only way of the draw against Madrid being a good result was if we won today. There are certain things which are making us feel good, and that's giving us confidence. We were consistent against a good opponent, like we were against Real Madrid and Manchester United. We wanted to link up well with Danjuma and Yeremy.
“The draws mean we've had points slip away from us, as well as the games that we still need to play. Being strong at home is important. They are small challenges we set ourselves, and that gives us a clear motivation. We're adapting to different opponents. The team took a step forward important."
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