Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini insists Barcelona can still be caught.
After defeat to the Liga leaders last night, Pellegrini said: "I am going Sunday to Sunday. Those who try to look beyond that usually are wrong. At least until the mathematics say otherwise.
"Football is very changeable, there are now six teams close together at the top. Espanyol finished third in the first round of last season and got only 12 points in the second.
"The distance between ourselves and Barcelona is not insurmountable."