There was a shock in the clash between Villarreal and Athletic when Pablo Fornals appeared to faint with the play taking place on the other side of the pitch.

The club later revealed that the player suffered a 'presyncope' where he was close to losing consciousness.

He was taken to hospital in Castellon where he will be observed, having received treatment on the pitch and was in fact ready to continue playing but the club doctor advised him against it.

Last December Fornals had to be taken to hospital after fainting during a training session.

 

Villarreal slump to home defeat to Athletic Bilbao

Inigo Cordoba, Inaki Williams and Iker Muniain scored to seal Athletic Bilbao's 3-1 LaLiga win at Villarreal.

Twenty-one-year-old forward Cordoba bagged his first ever top-flight goal, while Williams tucked away his sixth strike of the league campaign.

And Muniain toasted his return from a knee injury by climbing off the bench to notch the travelling outfit's third.

The visitors ended a run of three games without a win in all competitions, moving up one place to 12th in the table in the process.

Cordoba put them ahead in the fourth minute, tucking home neatly after being teed up by Williams.

Bilbao took the slender advantage into the break and then quickly doubled that lead when Williams drilled home.

Carlos Bacca, the Colombian on loan at Villarreal from AC Milan, hit his 10th league goal this term to make it 2-1, but they could not mount a comeback and Muniain made the points safe late on.

Villarreal's miserable night was complete when centre-back Alvaro was sent off at the death.