Villarreal win, Sanabria nets hat-trick Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao had contrasting results in La Liga before Thursday's Europa League outings when Villarreal fought back from a goal down to beat Rayo Vallecano 2-1 and 10-man Bilbao were held to a 0-0 draw by Malaga. Villarreal have had a poor run since they beat Atletico Madrid at the end of September but closed to within a point of the Champions League qualification places when a second-half Cedric Bakambu double secured a comeback victory. Jozabed Sanchez put Madrid-based Rayo ahead four minutes before halftime at the Madrigal stadium before Bakambu struck in the 69th and 86th minutes to give Villarreal only a second victory in their last eight outings in Spain's top flight. At the San Mames, Bilbao were reduced to 10 men in the 19th minute when midfielder Mikel San Jose was shown a straight red card for lashing out at Malaga forward Charles. The struggling Qatar-owned club, who are hovering just above the relegation zone, could not make their numerical superiority count, while Bilbao missed a chance to climb above Deportivo La Coruna into sixth. This video is not available in your region With 14 matches played, Villarreal are fifth on 24 points, one behind fourth-placed Celta Vigo after the Galician club drew 1-1 at Real Betis on Saturday. Bilbao have 21 points in seventh, one behind Deportivo after Saturday's 1-1 stalemate against Sevilla at the Riazor. "We had to win at all costs," Villarreal midfielder Denis Suarez told Spanish television. "They are a vital three points as we have been on a very bad run and we are very pleased," he added. "We maintained our intensity, we attacked and kept pushing and we are still up there near the top and some of our direct rivals did not win this weekend." It was a morale-boosting success for the team known as "Yellow Submarine" ahead of Thursday's Europa League Group E match at Viktoria Plzen. Villarreal are already through to the last 32 of Europe's second-tier club competition and can make sure of top spot in the section with a win in the Czech Republic. Bilbao have secured top spot in Group L ahead of their game at home to AZ Alkmaar. "Before the match our goal was to win but the way the game went with the dismissal of Mikel, playing so many minutes with 10, we can be thankful," Bilbao defender Carlos Gurpegi told Spanish TV. Barcelona's lead at the top of La Liga was cut to two points when the Spanish and European champions conceded a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Valencia on Saturday.