In the Estadio de la Cerámica, Barcelona claimed a crucial away win against Villarreal, known as the Yellow Submarine. The game kicked off with an early breakthrough for the visitors when Raphinha successfully converted a penalty just 11 minutes into the first half. The final score was then secured by Lamine Yamal in the 63rd minute, ensuring the Blaugranas took all three points home.
Barcelona nearly doubled their lead shortly after the penalty, but Raphinha’s shot hit the post in the 14th minute, keeping Villarreal in the game for a moment longer.
Lamine Yamal shone as the standout player of the match, scoring one goal and completing an impressive 67 successful passes, along with three shots on target. Frenkie de Jong also played a pivotal role, with 81 accurate passes and three tackles throughout the match.
Villarreal’s coach, Marcelino García Toral, opted for a 4-4-2 formation featuring Luiz Júnior in goal; Pau Navarro, Rafa Marín, Renato Veiga, and Sergi Cardona in defense; and Tajon Buchanan, Santi Comesaña, Dani Parejo, and Alberto Moleiro in midfield, with Nicolas Pépé and Ayoze Pérez leading the attack.
Meanwhile, Barcelona’s head coach Hans Flick lined up his team in a 4-5-1 formation with Joan García as the goalkeeper; Jules Koundé, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martín, and Alejandro Balde in defense; Eric García, Frenkie de Jong, Lamine Yamal, Fermín López, and Raphinha in midfield; and Ferran Torres in the lone striker position.
The match referee, Javier Alberola Rojas, officiated the game in a smooth manner.
Following this match, Villarreal will travel to Elche for their next fixture, while Barcelona prepares to face Espanyol in a highly anticipated Catalan derby.
As it stands after the match, Villarreal remains in fourth place on the table with 35 points, whereas Barcelona rises to the top with 46 points, showing their intent for the La Liga title.
Substitutions for Villarreal
64’ 2nd Half – Ayoze Pérez was replaced by Georges Mikautadze.
74’ 2nd Half – Nicolas Pépé came off for Tani Oluwaseyi, while Dani Parejo was substituted for Carlos Macia.
Yellow Card for Villarreal:
27’ 2nd Half – Tajon Buchanan (Unsporting behavior).
Red Card for Villarreal:
38’ 1st Half – Renato Veiga (Direct red).
Substitutions for Barcelona
61’ 2nd Half – Ferran Torres was substituted for Robert Lewandowski.
62’ 2nd Half – Fermín López was replaced by Marcus Rashford.
66’ 2nd Half – Eric García was substituted for Marc Bernal.
78’ 2nd Half – Jules Koundé came off for Marc Casadó.
Yellow Card for Barcelona:
13’ 2nd Half – Frenkie de Jong (Unsporting behavior).