Following in the footsteps of their Spanish colleagues Barcelona and Real Madrid, Villarreal secured what looks like an unassailable first-leg lead as they beat FC Twente 5-1.
Defender Carlos Marchena put Villarreal into the lead with a header from a Borja Valero corner after 22 minutes, while Valero doubled their lead two minutes before half-time when racing onto a perfectly weighted pass from Santi Cazorla to produce a neat finish across the goalkeeper. There was still time before the break for Nilmar to profit from a poor defensive header to nod home from close range.
Villarreal got a fourth goal through from Giuseppe Rossi as he curled home a lovely shot from the edge of the box for his ninth strike in the competition this season. The Italian then set up Nilmar for his second of the night as the Brazilian shifted his bodyweight and struck a fierce shot after 80 minutes, but FC Twente claimed a late equaliser through Marc Janko.