Villarreal boss Marcelino Garcia Toral has praised his side following their 2-1 win over Espanyol on Monday.

A youthful Yellow Submarine outfit registered their 13th La Liga win of the season in Barcelona and moved into fifth spot in the table in the process.

"It's a stroke of authority from an extremely young team, but with a lot of enthusiasm and ambition, that game after game, proves that they deserve to be where they are," he told reporters.

"Having come here from the Segunda, this team is where it is for its own merits."

Villarreal are currently four points off the top four with 13 matches remaining.