Raphinha and Lamine Yamal played pivotal roles in leading LaLiga champions Barcelona to a solid 2-0 victory over 10-man Villarreal, helping to maintain their four-point cushion at the top of the table.
With this win marking their eighth consecutive league triumph, Barcelona, under Hansi Flick, have ended the year with a significant lead over their rivals Real Madrid, with third-placed Atletico Madrid now trailing by nine points.
Raphinha caused constant headaches for Villarreal’s defense, winning and converting a penalty in the 12th minute, which set the tone for the match. A red card for Renato Veiga shortly before halftime for a foul on Yamal further sealed Villarreal’s fate.
Yamal added the second goal midway through the second half, marking his third goal in five league matches.
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This match ended Villarreal’s streak of six consecutive league wins, which had seen them rise to third place heading into this weekend’s fixtures.
The hosts started brightly with early chances, including a close-range header from Nicolas Pépé going wide, while Ayoze Pérez missed a shot off-target and another saved by Joan García.
However, they were punished for squandering those opportunities as Barcelona struck first during their initial attack. Raphinha maneuvered inside and was nudged down by Santi Comesaña, promptly converting the penalty with a low shot to give his team a 1-0 lead, making it four goals in three league matches.
Raphinha nearly added to his tally shortly after, hitting a curling effort from 20 yards that struck the post while Luiz Junior could only watch.
Villarreal appeared to have equalized when Jules Koundé turned a low cross into his own net, but the goal was disallowed due to a late offside call.
Encouraged by their early performance, Villarreal continued to press, with Pepê hitting the post before Tajon Buchanan forced a good save from Joan Garcia after coming close with a shot.
However, all their efforts were undone when Veiga received a red card for a challenge on Yamal, a decision that seemed harsh.
Yamal sealed the victory by slotting home through a crowded box after a pass from Frenkie de Jong, extinguishing Villarreal’s hopes despite a couple of good saves from Joan Garcia against Georges Mikautadze and Sergi Cardona.
There was still time for Barcelona substitute Marcus Rashford to create two opportunities, volleying just wide from a corner before a delicate clip evaded Luiz Junior but was cleared off the line by a defender.