Suarez and Messi pick Villarreal's pockets in epic encounter

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez spared Barcelona's blushes in a thrilling 4-4 draw between Villarreal and Barcelona at Estadio La Ceramica. Villarreal were cruising and 4-2 up after 85 minutes, but a senseless second yellow by Alvaro let Barcelona back into the game. Chukwueze, Ekambi, Iborra and Bacca scored for the hosts, Coutinho, Malcom, Messi and Suarez netted for the away side in a draw which will feel like a defeat for the 'Yellow Submarine'. Villarreal were 0-2 up at Celta Vigo on Saturday after 15 minutes before losing 3-2 and they will not feel any better after this game.

It was a very open start to the game and it only took two minutes for the opening chance. Toko Ekambi made a defensive error and Barca nearly punished him. Coutinho got the ball, he played in Suarez, but as the Uruguayan tried to cross it for Coutinho, Asenjo dived to divert the cross for a corner.

It did not take long for Barca to do to Villarreal what Villarreal did to Celta Vigo. Go 0-2 up after 15 minutes. They took the lead through Coutinho after 12 minutes. Sergi Roberto at midfield found Malcom down this near side. Malcom drove quickly with the ball before crossing for Coutinho to tap in. The VAR checked to see whether Malcom was offside, but it got the all clear. Three minutes later and it was two. After a long possession by the visitors which the Yellow Submarine were unable to clear, Sergi Roberto passed to Arturo Vidal and the Chilean put in an absolutely perfect cross for Malcom to head in at the far post. 

Chukwueze started the Vigo style comeback less than ten minutes later. He made it 1-2 in the 23rd minute. Cazorla found Chukwueze 30 yards out, he held off Lenglet before shooting against the post. He stayed alert though and hit the rebound into the goal to halve the deficit. Once again the VAR had to check to confirm the goal.

Until the 40th minute, Barca were in complete control in a match dominated by poor defending without creating too many chances. However, Villarreal fought back in the last five minutes of the first half. Chukwueze, who causing Barca trouble down their left, forced Ter Stegen into a brilliant save after the ball broke to him fortuitously and three minutes later, a Villarreal free-kick in the edge of the box hit their own man in the wall. The half ended with tempers fraying after a poor challenge by Cazorla on Malcom and with Barca in good control despite a late Villarreal flurry.

After the break though it was a different story. Just four minutes into the second period, Barcelona lost the ball in Villarreal's box, Chukwueze sent an insane ball up field to Toko Ekambi on this near side. The Cameroonian man went down the flank, Ter Stegen took a step up his post anticipating the cross and Ekambi beat the German at his near post. Were Villarreal going to do a Celta Vigo-esque comeback? They certainly were.

Villarreal were much stronger for much of the second half against a dreadful Barcelona defence who were clearly missing Gerard Pique. Messi came on the field on the hour mark for Coutinho and just seconds after his introduction, Barcelona fell behind. Morlanes played the perfect pass for Vicente Iborra to slot past Ter Stegen. VAR checked the tight offside and the goal stood. La Ceramica erupted and Valverde's side were stunned. Ter Stegen had to tip a Chukwueze strike onto the bar to prevent it being 4-2 in the 68th minute by having to adjust after the deflection off the defender. He was brilliant tonight despite conceding four goals. 

Barca, after being 'Celta Vigoed', still had the odd chance and Malcolm hit the side netting a quarter of an hour from time, but Villarreal definitely looked more dangerous and more likely to score. In the 80th minute, Carlos Bacca looked to have sealed the deal for Villarreal. Cazorla sent an amazing pass from his own half to Carlos Bacca. The Colombian was 35 yards out, he went past Umtiti very, very easily, he went round the goalkeeper and into the empty net. 

There was a party in the stands and Barcelona's players were incredibly frustrated. Sergi Roberto and Messi were booked for protesting and they had lost their heads. There was no way back for the away side. Until Alvaro senselessly got himself sent off in the 86th minute. He fouled Suarez in the middle of the pitch when the Uruguayan was going nowhere. It was a foul from behind and the referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez sent him off the field for a second yellow.

That gave Barcelona a new lease of life and the match ended with a Barcelona siege. Victor Ruiz fouled Messi on the edge of the box in the 88th minute, but there was still calm at La Ceramica. Messi got up and hit the free-kick into the top corner leaving Asenjo for dead. That sent up a grandstand finish which nobody saw coming. There were three added minutes and in the 93rd minute, Suarez sent through Jordi Alba, the Catalan was one on one, but Asenjo pulled off a spectacular stop to prevent the equaliser and it looked like he has saved the three points for the hosts, but he had not.

With the last play of the game, Barcelona had a corner. Messi sent it in, it was a half-cleared by a Villarreal head and Luis Suarez smashed a powerful strike into the net from just outside the box to break Villarreal's hearts and to end a classic match which saw Villarreal fight back Celta Vigo style before having their pockets picked.

The point does not make much difference to Barcelona who are still eight points clear at the top ahead of Saturday's clash with Atletico, but it was a sickener for Villarreal. They are now only two points ahead of Celta, who are the final team in the relegation zone, instead of four and they have squandered a winning position for the second game in a row.