Raphinha Penalty, Yamal Goal Power Barcelona to 2-0 Victory at Villarreal

Barcelona wingers Raphinha and Lamine Yamal combined to hand the Catalan side a 2-0 win away to 10-man Villarreal on Sunday, opening a four-point gap at the top of La Liga.

Brazilian forward Raphinha earned and calmly converted an early penalty before Villarreal defender Renato Veiga was shown a red card just before half-time for a late challenge on teenage star Yamal.

Yamal sealed the victory midway through the second half, finishing off a move to secure Barcelona’s eighth straight league win and restore their cushion over second-placed Real Madrid under coach Hansi Flick.

Villarreal remain fourth in the table after Atletico Madrid moved above them with a 3-0 victory at Girona earlier in the day.

Flick had passionately defended Raphinha on Saturday following the winger’s omission from FIFA’s ‘The Best’ team of the year, and the Brazilian responded with a tireless performance at the Estadio de la Ceramica. The match was played in Villarreal after La Liga abandoned earlier plans to stage the fixture in Miami.

Despite defensive lapses and difficulties in build-up play, Barcelona’s attacking quality out wide and an outstanding display from goalkeeper Joan Garcia proved decisive in an entertaining contest.

Jules Kounde blocked an early effort from Villarreal striker Ayoze Perez before Raphinha was fouled by Santi Comesana at the other end, leading to the opening goal from the penalty spot. Raphinha later came close to doubling the lead with a powerful long-range strike that rattled the crossbar.

Villarreal thought they had equalised when Kounde deflected a cross into his own net, but the effort was ruled out for offside in the build-up. The hosts continued to press, with Joan Garcia producing a fine save from Tajon Buchanan after an error by Alejandro Balde.

Barcelona’s task became easier when Veiga was dismissed for a reckless late tackle on Yamal shortly before the break.

The visitors finally doubled their advantage after 63 minutes, following a scramble in the area that saw Frenkie de Jong set up Yamal to fire home.

Joan Garcia later made superb saves to deny Rafa Marin and Georges Mikautadze, helping Barcelona claim three points and record a third consecutive clean sheet across all competitions.

However, concerns remain at the back after Kounde limped off injured late on, adding to Flick’s defensive worries following Andreas Christensen’s partial knee ligament tear.

Barcelona end the year in a stronger position than rivals Real Madrid, who beat Sevilla 2-0 on Saturday, though Flick’s side still face issues to address despite their impressive run.

Opinion Nigeria News