Villarreal, now under coach Quique Setién following Unai Emery's departure for Aston Villa, were totally dominating possession in the first quarter of an hour but had to thank keeper Rulli for a tenth-minute save when Jaume Costa was put in by Lee Kang-in.
The possession continued (around 80%), but on 32 minutes it was Mallorca's Kosovo striker Vedat Muriqi who put them ahead with a goal similar to that against Espanyol, set up by full-back Gio González, but with assistance from a deflection.
Into the second half and Mallorca were still content with ceding possession to Villarreal, who weren't creating chances until Samuel Chukwueze's 68th-minute shot went just wide. Five minutes later, and the Nigeria international midfielder hit the bar. But the Villarreal threat was soon snuffed out - Amath Ndiaye volleying in from the edge of the area on 75 minutes.
Nicolas Jackson's shot went wide as the Yellow Submarine tried to get back into the match, but it wasn't to be, and the home fans were calling for Setién's head.
Villarreal: Rulli; Femenía, Albiol, Torres, Moreno (Morales 89); Parejo, Capoue (Mojica 89); Chukwueze, Baena (Pino 64), Trigueros (Jackson 46); Groeneveld
Mallorca: Rajkovic; González, Valjent, Nastasic, Copete, Costa; D. Rodríguez (Sánchez 71), Baba (Grenier 90+1), Galarreta (Battaglia 86), Lee (Amath 71); Muriqi (Abdón 86).
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