MADRID, March 31: Athletic Bilbao shipped five goals in a disastrous first half as they suffered a shock 5-2 defeat against struggling Villarreal in the Spanish first division Sunday.

The result comes just a week after the Basque side were handed a 6-1 thrashing by Celta Vigo and is a clear setback to their hopes of claiming a UEFA Cup place this season.

For Villarreal the impressive victory was their first in eight games and will help to ease their relegation fears.

Villarreal striker Victor, who was involved in all five of his team’s goal, opened the floodgates after just seven minutes when he clipped the ball past goalkeeper Inaki Lafuente after a Jorge Lopez shot rebounded off the heel of a Bilbao defender.

The diminutive forward turned provider five minutes later when his sweeping corner was headed in by Quique Alvarez and the same combination helped set up Jorge Lopez shortly after.

This time Alvarez flicked on Victor’s corner to the far post for Lopez to fire home a first-time shot to make it 3-0 after just 18 minutes.

Victor grabbed his second and Villarreal’s fourth when he completed a fine solo run by rounding Lafuente and slotting the ball into an open goal just after the half hour mark.

The former Real Madrid reserve team player completed a superb first half performance when his deflected cross fell to the unmarked Guayre who drilled in unopposed at the far post three minutes before the break.

Victor Munoz’s side eased up as the match wore on and Carlos Garcia pulled one back for Bilbao with a superbly struck 25-metre drive on 67 minutes.

The Basque side then spurned the chance to close the gap still further after Aitor Larrazabal fired an 85th minute penalty against the bar, but centre forward Ismael Urzaiz did convert from the spot in the final minute to make it 5-2.

RESULTS:

Osasuna 0 Malaga 2

Real Mallorca 2 Espanyol 1

Real Zaragoza 0 Valladolid 0

Villarreal 5 Athletic Bilbao 2

—Reuters