Villarreal have thrashed struggling Rayo Vallecano 5-2 to move into the top six of the Primera Division table.

Ikechukwu Uche scored a hat-trick for the visitors and Jeremy Perbet weighed in with a first-half brace to hand the visitors a convincing victory.

The hosts were first to threaten and came within inches of breaking the deadlock in the ninth minute when Galvez smashed a free kick from the edge of the box against the crossbar.

The visitors were ahead just one minute later, however, as Uche got his first of the night by turning Perbet's cross past Cobeno in the Rayo goal.

Perbet got his own name on the scoresheet moments later when he found himself on the receiving end of Moises Gomez's cross to slot home from close range.

Rayo were left cursing their luck once again just after the half-hour mark as Jonathan Viera danced his way into the box before drilling a shot towards the bottom corner, only to see the ball bounce back off the foot of the post.

The third goal for Villarreal came just under five minutes before half time, and it was Gomez who supplied the cross for Perbet to add the finishing touch once again.

It was 4-0 in the 57th minute when Uche took advantage of some smart work from Javier Aquino inside the box to poke home from close range.

Uche completed his hat-trick just seven minutes later when he again scored from close range after Cobeno had denied Trigueros from a free kick.

Rayo pulled one back just two minutes later to continue the frantic nature of the match, Nery Castillo firing an effort into the bottom corner having been found by Adri Embarba.

The hosts then managed to get a second in the dying stages as hat-trick hero Uche tripped Roberto Trashorras in the box, allowing Castillo to step up and score from the spot.