Barcelona vs Villarreal: Raphinha, Yamal strike in 2–0 win

BARCELONA: Barcelona vs Villarreal saw the Catalan giants move four points clear at the top of La Liga after a 2–0 victory over 10-man Villarreal on Sunday, powered by goals from Raphinha and teenage star Lamine Yamal.

Brazil winger Raphinha opened the scoring early, winning and converting a penalty, before Villarreal defender Renato Veiga was sent off just before half-time for a reckless late challenge on Yamal. The 18-year-old later sealed the result midway through the second half, finishing off a move set up by Frenkie de Jong.

The win marked an eighth straight league victory for FC Barcelona, restoring their advantage over second-placed Real Madrid. Villarreal remain fourth, after Atletico Madrid moved ahead earlier in the day.

“We’re happy because we finish the year as leaders, which was our objective,” De Jong told DAZN. “In the end, I think it was a deserved win.”

Key moments

Barcelona started brightly despite some defensive fragility. Jules Kounde blocked an early effort from Ayoze Perez, before Raphinha drew a foul from Santi Comesana to earn the 12th-minute penalty, which he dispatched confidently. The winger nearly doubled the lead soon after with a thunderous long-range strike that rattled the crossbar.

Villarreal threatened an equaliser when Joan Garcia produced a fine save after an error from Alejandro Balde, but Veiga’s red card tilted the balance firmly in Barcelona’s favour.

After the break, sustained pressure told. A scramble in the box ended with De Jong teeing up Yamal, who calmly fired home in the 63rd minute to secure the points in Barcelona vs Villarreal.

Goalkeeper Joan Garcia was outstanding late on, denying Rafa Marin and Georges Mikautadze to preserve a clean sheet, Barcelona’s third in their last three matches across all competitions.

Barcelona did suffer a setback when Kounde limped off injured, adding to concerns following Andreas Christensen’s knee ligament issue. Still, coach Hansi Flick was buoyed by the result, especially after publicly defending Raphinha for his omission from FIFA’s recent awards.

Villarreal, meanwhile, tasted their first home league defeat of the season at the Estadio de la Ceramica.

“We’re hurt by the result,” said Villarreal captain Dani Parejo, “but we’re proud of the team and how we competed.”

As the winter break begins, Barcelona vs Villarreal ultimately highlighted the league leaders’ cutting edge out wide — and their growing belief at the top of La Liga.