Five-star Barcelona continue on path of destruction

Prior to the game, Ernesto Valverde named an experimental starting XI, bringing in Thomas Vermaelen and Lucas Digne who both had few playing minutes under their belts this season.

- The Brazilians get the ball rolling -

Never one to sit back, Barcelona got straight down to business with an early goal. With 10 minutes on the clock, Ousmane Dembele skipped past his marker and darted towards goal. Dropping his shoulder, the Frenchman fired low and hard at Sergio Asenjo who parried away but only into the path of the incoming Coutinho who took the ball in his stride and blasted it into the net. 1-0.

Pablo Fornals then forced a save out of Jasper Cillessen before Barcelona doubled their lead through Paulinho who, after having the ball kindly squared to him by Digne, rolled it into an open net in the six yard box. 2-0.

- Messi gets in on the action -

Villarreal managed to sew up a few loose seams at the back before they were picked apart by an Iniesta masterclass. Spotting the run of his teammate Lionel Messi, Iniesta outrageously scooped the ball over the Villarreal defence, beating the offside trap, and placing a pinpoint pass onto the Argentine’s boot. With a delicate side-foot volley, Messi tucked the ball inside the far post and made it 3-0 on the stroke of half-time.

- The visitors come out swinging - 

Villarreal stepped back onto the turf determined to reduce the deficit and restore some dignity in the second period. And they did just that. Introduced at the start of the half, Nicola Sansone was called into action by Fornals’ who gave little warning before thumping a venomous effort at his teammate. Fortunately for the pair, the resulting deflection wrong-footed Cillessen and fired into the middle of the net. 3-1 with 35 minutes still to play.

Like a yellow wave descending on the Camp Nou, the visitors continued to apply pressure on the Catalan heavyweights but failed to test Barca’s Dutchman between the sticks.

On the 83 minute mark, lightening almost struck twice on Sansone’s face. This time it was Rodri who stung his teammate across the chops, but it wasn’t meant to be and the ball floated wide of the target.

- À la française -

Minutes later, Villarreal were punished by some typically clinical Barca play. Breezing past his man and into the box, Ivan Rakitic caught sight of Dembele waiting at the back post and put it on a plate for him to sweep into an open goal. 4-1.

Dembele wasn’t content to stop there. Picking the ball up on the centre-circle three minutes into injury time, the Frenchman galloped towards goal. Unfazed by Asenjo bounding out towards him, Dembele rounded of his solo run with an audacious finish, lifting the ball over the keeper and down the back of net. 5-1.

Dembele’s wonder goal would end up being the last move of the game. With a thumping 5-1 scoreline, Barcelona moved within two games of becoming the first La Liga champions to go an entire season unbeaten.
 

 

9 May 2018