Yamal strikes as Barcelona tighten grip on La Liga summit
Barcelona strengthened their hold on top spot in La Liga with an away win over Villarreal, restoring a four-point lead over Real Madrid and extending their league winning run to eight matches.
Despite not being at their fluent best in the early exchanges, Hansi Flick’s side executed the key moments efficiently to secure maximum points at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
Raphinha capitalises as Villarreal rue missed chances
Villarreal started aggressively and created several early openings, but their failure to convert proved costly.
Against the run of play, Barcelona struck first in the 12th minute when Raphinha calmly converted a penalty after being brought down by Santi Comesana.
The hosts continued to threaten, with Nicolas Pepe and Ayoze Pérez both spurning opportunities, while Raphinha came close to doubling Barca’s lead by rattling the crossbar from distance.
Yamal delivered the decisive blow to help Barcelona tighten their grip of La Liga top spot – Getty image
Red card shifts momentum decisively
The match tilted firmly in Barcelona’s favour in the 39th minute when Renato Veiga was sent off for a rash challenge on Lamine Yamal.
Villarreal briefly thought they had equalised before the break, but Jules Koundé’s own goal was ruled out for offside, compounding the hosts’ frustration.
Yamal seals routine victory
With the numerical advantage, Barcelona controlled the tempo after the interval. Yamal delivered the decisive blow in the 63rd minute, reacting quickest to a scramble in the box to poke home his ninth goal of the season.
From there, Barcelona managed the game professionally, limiting Villarreal’s threat and seeing out the contest without alarm.
The result keeps Barcelona firmly in control of the title race heading into the winter break. They return to action against Espanyol on January 3, while Villarreal travel to Elche later the same day.
