The Yellow Submarine are eight points behind second-placed Real Madrid but climbed a point above Atletico Madrid, ahead of the Madrid derby on Sunday.

The hosts, whose only home league defeats this season have been to the top two, Barcelona and Real Madrid, took the lead from their first corner after seven minutes when Gerard Moreno was left unmarked in front of goal to nod home a near-post flick.

The home team added a second in the 15th minute when Georges Mikautadze pounced to poke home the loose ball after goalkeeper Alex Remiro blocked a scuffed shot from Moreno.

Nicolas Pepe added a third after 23 minutes, running from the halfway line, cutting inside two defenders and bobbling a deflected shot in off the far post.

When Villarreal failed to clear a cross two minutes after the break, Luka Sucic lofted the ball into the empty net but while Sociedad dominated second-half possession, the hosts created, and wasted, a string of chances, with Pepe and Mikautadze particularly guilty.

Real Sociedad remain seventh but have a pack of clubs on their heels.