Moreno scores twice as Villarreal beats Granada in pulsating Spanish league match

GRANADA, Spain (AP) — Villarreal scored three times in the opening half hour en route to a hard-fought 3-2 win over Granada in the Spanish league on Monday.

The visitor was 3-0 up within 28 minutes before Ricard Sánchez and Myrto Uzini pulled goals back for the home side before halftime.

Gerardo Moreno was the standout player for Villarreal, scoring his fifth and sixth goals in eight games.

Moreno opened the scoring from close range after 18 minutes then converted a penalty five minutes later. Alexander Sørloth added a third with 28 minutes gone.

However, the home side fought back quickly.

Sánchez scored with an angled shot from the right after 29 minutes, and although Granada’s hope was raised by a superb second from Uzini five minutes later it could not find the equalizer in a pulsating second half.

The result extended Granada’s unhappy run against Villarreal, with its last win back in March 2014.

Granada sat second from bottom in La Liga; Villarreal was 12th.

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