All Bar�a�s football

Match

Marcador del partit

Date: Saturday, 01 May
Competition: ???label.competicio0???
Stadium: El Madrigal, Villarreal

Resultat:

Villarreal CF: 1
FC Barcelona: 4

Match report

Match Report
Pre-Match

Match Report

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Goals

0-1 Messi (min 18)
0-2 Xavi (min 33)
0-3 Bojan (min 42)
1-3 Llorente (min 67)
1-4 Messi (min 87)

Stylish display brushes doubts aside (1-4)

Jordi Clos

Barca turned on the style at Villarreal to beat their hosts 1-4 and put behind any doubts that might have lingered from the European KO. Barca will lead the table going into the final three games thanks to goals tonight from Messi(2), Xavi and Bojan.

Any doubts about Guardiola’s team’s ability to bounce back from the Inter defeat were brushed aside by a champions display to see off the in-form Villarreal with some magisterial football, particularly in the first half when Messi, Xavi and Bojan all scored. The home team got a consolation goal in the second, but Messi was again on target to put aside any hopes of a comeback. This was a team true to its style and heritage and Barca’s starting line up included a total of eight players who’d come through La Masia and all four goals were scored by home grown players.

Lively start

In a lively opening, both teams showed their attacking intentions and Xavi, Messi and Puyol all had good chances in the first ten minutes, as did Nilmar on two occasions for Villarreal. The football was flowing, with not a foul committed till almost the quarter hour mark and Barca were able to impose their style on the game. On 18 minutes, Bojan won a ball and laid it back to Xavi who played a trademark killer pass to Messi for the Argentinean aided by a slight deflection from a defender, to strike home from an acute angle.

0-3 at the break

The goal confirmed Barca’s dominance and Xavi was at the heart of it all, so it was fitting that he claimed the second, striking home a wonderful free kick over the defensive wall and past the flailing Diego Lopez. The third was another excellent effort, as Bojan out-smarted and out-sprinted his marker Gonzalo and fired low past the keeper to send the team in 0-3 up.

Villarreal reaction snuffed out

Villarreal made two changes at half time and came out determined to put up what they could of a fight. Barca’s answer was to maintain possession and take the sting out of their hosts’ attempts to fight back. When Llorente managed to pull a goal back on 67 minutes, Messi almost came back with an immediate reply, shooting just wide, but Barca never really looked under pressure and their biggest fright came when the ref appeared to show Busquets a second yellow as he went off to be subbed, which was in fact for Llorente.

Messi gets his second

The game was only going one way and when Messi did make it four with his second, exquisitely rounding off a typical team move on 87 minutes, it just confirmed Barca’s superiority throughout, the three points and another week at the top.

Preview

Midfield maestros

The home side have been buoyed by the return of the influential midfielder Marcos Senna who pulls the strings in the centre of their team and he will be tasked with limiting Xavi's influence. The Catalan playmaker will be one to watch for the visitors if he starts because it will be his vision that can open up the Villarreal rearguard.

Bouncing back at Villarreal

Roger Boguny�

FC Barcelona head to El Madrigal to take on a rejuvenated Villarreal side on Saturday evening (22:00, R@dio Bar�a) and put the disappointment of their Champions League exit behind them.

Coach Pep Guardiola admitted in the build-up that the game at the weekend may not prove to be decisive in the race for the title, but is well aware of what a victory against the Yellow Submarine could do for immediately bolstering the Blaugrana's confidence. While all eyes have been on Europe in recent weeks, the focus for Bar�a now turns firmly back to la Primera and the incredibly close championship duel with Real Madrid.

Euro vision

Villarreal made a poor start to the season when they failed to win in any of their opening seven encounters and pundits felt that any chance the club had of regaining a European place had gone. A turnaround in fortunes was not enough for Manuel Pellegrinis' successor, Ernesto Valverde, to save his job and he was replaced by Juan Carlos Garrido in January. The new coach has improved things even further and Villarreal are now sixth in the table and just four points away from a Champions League berth.

Squad news

Bar�a have a 20-man party for the game with Guardiola choosing to keep his options open. While the injured Andr�s Iniesta is still out, �ric Abidal is also omitted despite being given the green light to play once more. Dmytro Chygrynskiy is back in the fold after missing the European game on Wednesday, while young Thiago Alc�ntara is also called up. Xavi Hern�ndez will undergo a late fitness test ahead of the match. Marcos Senna is back in the home team's squad along with youth team product Mateo Musacchio, but Iv�n Marcano and Robert Pir�s are both out.

Previous meetings

Since Villarreal returned to the top flight ten years ago they have beaten Bar�a on five occasions in El Madrigal with another memorable 4-4 draw being fought out in the 2000-01 campaign. Earlier this season the two teams met in Camp Nou on January 2 and the spoils were shared in a 1-1 draw when Fuster levelled after Pedro had put the hosts in front.

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