Seeking a sixth consecutive victory in the league, the home side were frustrated throughout the first half by a vintage Getafe performance, as they slowed the game down and defended resolutely.
An early flurry of Villarreal corners yielded nothing of note, and the first shot on target didn’t come until the 38th minute, when a delicate cross from Tajon Buchanan picked out Georges Mikautadze in a central position, but he couldn’t generate enough power on his header to trouble David Soria.
With seven minutes added on for stoppages, it looked like a stalemate was an inevitable outcome at half-time, but the deadlock was broken by a piece of magic from Buchanan.
The Canadian found space for the shot after cutting in from the right flank, and Soria was helpless as his curled effort found the top corner, marking the 12th time this season that Villarreal have opened the scoring in LaLiga.
Already facing an uphill task, the visitors were reduced to 10 men just four minutes after the restart, Luis Milla shown a straight red card - his first in LaLiga since 2022/23 - for dissent.
The home side made their numerical advantage count just after the hour mark with a second goal to crush Getafe’s spirits.
Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior launched a long ball to set Mikautadze clear, and with the angle against him, the Georgian produced a sumptuous chip over Soria to double their lead.
That ultimately sealed Villarreal’s 22nd LaLiga victory against Getafe - their joint-most against any opponent - and cements their place as title contenders as the season approaches the halfway stage.
Getafe’s own European ambitions are being undermined by travelling woes, as they’ve now lost five of their last six away league games, with this a fourth failure to score in that sequence.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Tajon Buchanan (Villarreal)
