Barcelona Hammer Villarreal 5-1 with Lewandowski and Raphinha on Top
Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha helped the team to mount plenty of good tries when all windows of the opponent’s door seemed to have been closed at times. At Sold-out Camp Nou, A. Pérez of Villarreal had scored early but was too aerial to make any match for Yellow Submarine as Barca’s Xavi Hernández side had things pretty well under control.
First Half: Lewandowski Double Puts Barcelona in Control
The first goal had already unleashed a string of hazardous attacks by the Catalan side, but it was not long before Lewandowski leveled for them in the 35th minute as they capitalized on a slip in defense that had made Villarreal absolutely dominate the game at a 2-0 lead.
Villarreal leveled back just before half-time thanks to A. Pérez in the 38th minute courtesy of a lapse in Barcelona’s defense which allowed him a license to shoot strongly past Iñaki Peña with Marc-André ter Stegen deputising in this game. Expectations of Villarreal were briefly revived as it went into the break behind by 2-1 but was quickly restored by Barcelona through dominating the entire game.
Second Half: The list of the continued imperatives for a brutal attack by Barcelona.
Barcelona started the second half pretty much as they had started the first one. On minute 58, Pablo Torre scored the third for Barcelona after Pedri had passed to him, where he rounded the Villarreal goalie and tapped the ball to the back of the net, thereby increasing the lead to 3-1.
It was one of those nights that Villarreal would want to remember nothing from, as the chances were limited, due to a very well-organized defence led by Iñigo Martínez and Sergi Roberto. The home team had little to do as the middle of the pitch, here Pedri, and Torre dominated the tempo of the game.
Just a few minutes after Erald Alickaj had leveled the score, 1-1, Raphinha took the center stage, scoring two goals in quick succession, putting the game beyond reach of Villarreal. It was well into the 74th minute of this hard match, same pattern, until Brazilian winger Raphinha picked up superbly timed pass from Pablo Torre and curled in a beautiful shot to the top corner, making it 4-1. It was the second that was scored after only nine minutes, in the 83rd minute again, in a very well-worked team play that saw 16 passes culminate in a soft finish that sent Lamine Yamal to an effervescent climax.
Problems of Villarreal: Their Crisis Was in Defense, And Missed Chances
Actually, the whole of Villarreal did not tolerate permanent attacks that Barcelona brought against them. The side was capable of holding possession of the ball only for a paltry 36 percent of the game time but could not make way of those opportunities into action. They could manage 14 strikes at goal but could only get four shots at goal. It was the sturdily and disciplined structure of defense that had defined Barcelona, and the attack of Villarreal could not gain the upper hand.
The best of the visiting chances to win during the second period came when, from the box’s near side, Eric Bailly headed a corner, it found itself just past the crossbar, and where Iñaki Peña produced an excellent save to tip it into the crossbar. Contra attacking opportunities, as well as set pieces in the set period at the other end of the pitch, were never taken advantage by Villarreal. Things did not get any better for their defense as it left the pitch wide open once again, and Barcelona capitalized on quick transitions into their attack at will.
Spaces were the theme of the night for Raphinha and Lewandowski.
Dani Parejo, generally he on whom much was expected to go to work in terms of influence in the game from Villarreal, made little to no impact and sent himself off after picking up a yellow card in the first half.
The pressure could not be maintained to a great extent by the Villarreal team against the dominant side of since control in the middle of the field was not managed.
Important Barcelona Domination- Some Important Statistics and Match Features
But the statistics told just as much of a tale as did the feet. Barcelona reigned supreme with the ball, taking control of possession for 64% of the game and making 609 passes to Villarreal’s 325. It wasn’t long into the game before things went further and further downhill for Villarreal who, regardless of that, were far more clinical from their opportunities, taking 16 shots compared to the Catalonian’s 14 of which, ten hit their mark. They very rarely posed an odd on-target strike.
Yet again Robert Lewandowski proved why he is one of the world’s best strikers as he scored the much-needed two crucial goals almost finishing the match hat trick. But surely, he missed a vital penalty at 67 minutes. Pablo Torre formed an effective partnership in this match, as Torre assisted one of Lewandowski’s goals and scored one too.
It was in the second half that two goals from Raphinha encapsulated how much the team has come to rely on him. Neither by the pace and creativity he brought nor by clinical efficiency in front of goal was he not phenomenal. While in league action, another man who needed to cement his place as a strong performer on the right flank at Camp Nou was Raphinha along with Lewandowski.
Pablo Torre also stamps himself as one of the next big things for Barcelona and has played in several crucial games. His goal, an assist in this match, proves to be an important growth within Xavi’s system.
Tactical Battle: Xavi outclasses Quique Setién of Villarreal
Indeed, Xavi was right in tactics for the game as they pressed up the pitch and made sure that Villarreal committed mistakes, control in midfield was from quick and sharp passes. Coming on at the end of the game for Barcelona were Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres, who brought freshness to the front line in order to gain victory for themselves.
It was Quique Setién’s team that left having had to swallow disappointment, but his players defended disgracefully and opened up too much space for their opponent in the attack. They were always under pressure to defend, and they did very little to halt a side, once pretty much anywhere at any time, that gained a stranglehold on the game – doing so even after their manager made the substitutions with Ilias Akhomach and Santi Comesaña, and neither of whom seemed much to affect the course of the game.
Conclusion: The Statement Win by Barcelona
The Xavi team looks solid to go for the title this season with this game giving more confidence to the Catalan giants.
That was defeat, which showed some weaknesses in defense and organizational terms from which Villarreal need to learn to put up possible resistance in order to qualify to the European Championship. While A. Pérez once again scored into the net, he’s going to have to re-grow and strengthen the defensive structure so as not to be defeated so humiliatingly by top teams next time.
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