BARCELONA achieved seven straight wins across all competitions after a 2-0 win over Villarreal, keeping them at the top of LaLiga heading into the Christmas break.
Image/Barcelona IG
In a match known for its attacking style, Barcelona got a corner just one minute in.
Villarreal cleared it, but Nicolas Pepe almost scored with a header.
Villarreal started to control the ball, but Barcelona had two fast chances to take the lead.
Ayoze Perez came close, thanks to mistakes by Gerard Martin and Pau Cubarsi.
The game was fast-paced and went back and forth.
Soon after, Santi Comesana fouled Raphinha, and the Brazilian confidently converted the penalty, beating Luiz Junior.
Raphinha then tried a long-range curler, which hit the crossbar.
Jules Kounde accidentally put the ball in his own net, but the goal was offside.
Tajon Buchanan had a great volley that missed by a small margin.
Barcelona were in control as the first half went on. Alejandro Balde made a bad back pass, allowing Buchanan to get close, but he couldn't score.
Just before halftime, Renato Veiga got a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Lamine Yamal, making Villarreal's task even tougher.