Barcelona wingers Raphinha and Lamine Yamal powered the Catalan giants to a 2–0 victory over 10-man Villarreal on Sunday, opening a four-point lead at the top of La Liga.
Brazil international Raphinha put Barca ahead early after winning and converting a penalty, before Villarreal’s Renato Veiga was sent off just before half-time for a reckless late challenge on teenage star Yamal.
The 18-year-old sealed the win midway through the second half, calmly finishing after Frenkie de Jong teed him up, as Hansi Flick’s side claimed an eighth straight league victory and restored their cushion over second-placed Real Madrid.
Villarreal remain fourth in the standings after Atletico Madrid leapfrogged them earlier in the day with a 3–0 win at Girona.
Flick had passionately defended Raphinha on Saturday following his omission from FIFA’s The Best team of the year, and the winger responded with a tireless display at the Estadio de la Cerámica. The match had initially been earmarked for Miami before La Liga abandoned plans to take the fixture to the United States.
Despite Barcelona looking vulnerable defensively and struggling in build-up play, the quality of Raphinha and Yamal — along with an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Joan Garcia — proved decisive.
Jules Kounde blocked an early effort from Ayoze Pérez before Raphinha drew a foul from Santi Comesaña to earn the opening penalty, which he dispatched confidently. The winger later came close to doubling the lead with a thunderous long-range strike that rattled the crossbar.
Villarreal briefly thought they had equalised when a deflected cross went in off Kounde, but the goal was ruled out for offside in the build-up. Joan Garcia then made crucial saves to deny Tajon Buchanan after an error from Alejandro Balde.
The game tilted firmly in Barcelona’s favour when Veiga was shown a straight red card for a needless lunge on Yamal shortly before the break. Barca capitalised after 63 minutes, as Yamal finished from close range following a scramble in the box.
Garcia produced further stunning saves to keep out Rafa Marín and Georges Mikautadze, ensuring Barcelona ended the year with three points and a third consecutive clean sheet across all competitions.
However, Flick’s concerns at the back deepened as Kounde limped off late on, adding to defensive issues after Andreas Christensen was diagnosed with a partially torn knee ligament.
Barcelona close out the year in a stronger position than rivals Real Madrid, who beat Sevilla 2–0 on Saturday, but still with lingering injury worries despite their commanding league form.
