Pedraza roughs up the goalscorer Alena with a bad challenge, leaving referee Montero with no choice but to dish out another yellow.
90'
Pablo Fornals gets yellow.
Fornals stays down after Busquets bundles over him, albeit in a somewhat cynical manner! The Villarreal midfielder is furious despite getting back up, and he takes the law into his own hands by taking down Busquets himself after play is restarted! Terrible refereeing from Montero there who shouldn’t have let the Barca midfielder get away scot-free after the initial incident, and Fornals is booked for his act of retribution.
There will be four minutes of injury time as confirmed by the fourth official.
88'
Dani Raba enters the game and replaces Santi Cazorla.
Raba comes on for Cazorla in Villarreal’s final change of the match.
87'
Carles Aleñá has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by L. Messi.
Messi showing excellent wherewithal and quick thinking, finding Alena’s excellent run into the Villarreal box with one exquisite throughball.
GOOOAAALLL!! BARCA DOUBLE THEIR LEAD! Messi finally makes a positive contribution as he gets the ball in midfield, and spotting Alena on the run, releases an excellent throughball for the youngster to meet and lob the ball over a flailing Asenjo into the back of the net! 2-0 to the Blaugrana, and it's game, set, and match for Valverde's men!
84'
Dembele livens up the crowd, playing a quick one-two with Rakitic, and plays the ball to Messi just outside the box but for the Argentina playmaker to get tangled in a sea of yellow, eventually losing possession.
83'
Pedraza takes down Dembele from behind, but despite the Barca players’ and fans’ protests, the left-back escapes without a caution.
82'
Malcom’s first act after coming on is to hit a looping header after meeting Busquet’s cross which lands on the roof of Asenjo’s net.
80'
Malcom enters the game and replaces Philippe Coutinho.
That curler was Coutinho’s last contribution of the game, as Malcom is brought on in his place.
79'
K. Toko-Ekambi enters the game and replaces Gerard Moreno.
Moreno, being a former Espanyol player himself, is substituted to the jeers and catcalls of the Camp Nou faithful as he comes off for Ekambi.
Minute
Description
77'
Coutinho finally coming alive in these closing moments! The playmaker engages in his trademark move of cutting in from the wing and curling a shot from outside the box, but the chance is just wide of Asenjo’s left! The fans show their appreciation as one more goal would seal it for them.
72'
Great challenge by Gonzalez on Coutinho there! The Brazil playmaker, who’s had a quiet match so far, manages to get himself in the Villarreal box only for the defender to get in the way before a shot can be unleashed! The danger is cleared, and Villarreal regoup again.
70'
Carles Aleñá enters the game and replaces A. Vidal.
Blaugrana youth product Alena comes on for Vidal in Valverde’s first substitution of the game.
69'
Jordi Alba gets yellow.
Alba, who still looks somewhat dazed despite coming back on the pitch, gets himself booked for dissent in the lead-up to Cazorla’s free-kick.
It’s a close one, as Cazorla’s attempt floats just over Ter Stegen’s bar.
68'
Chukwueze is flattened by Vidal, and the Chile midfielder concedes a free-kick in dangerous territory that Cazorla will surely lap up.
67'
C. Bacca enters the game and replaces Manu Trigueros.
Calleja makes his first change an attacking one, as Trigueros comes off for Bacca.
61'
Dembele threatens once again and cuts it back to Messi, only for the club talisman’s shot to sail high over the bar. However, the youngster is flagged for offside.
60'
Caseres, who is already on a yellow, catches Busquets in a rash challenge close to the centre circle. The Villarreal midfielder is given a stern warning by referee Montero as Barca’s players protest.
58'
Rakitic feeds Dembele in the midfield area, and the France winger drives towards goal only to drag his shot well wide of Asenjo’s goal.
56'
Messi, Vidal and Alba get in on the action again, and the latter hits another low delivery across the box that fails to find any of his team-mates as Gonzalez clears the ball away. Villarreal regroup.
54'
Moreno does excellently to win a corner off of Semedo and Pique after Villarreal probe around the opposition half for a while. Better from the Yellow Submarines.
51'
Pique and Moreno getting into a heated discussion there after the defender’s flailing arm catches the Villarreal forward in the face. They brush it off for the time being after a quick chat with the referee.
50'
Rakitic does well to intercept Chukwueze’s ball after the young forward’s run into the box, and the midfielder clears the danger away!
48'
Rakitic almost gets a touch on another excellent Barca delivery - this time from Dembele on the other wing - and Asenjo has to be alert to smother the ball to safety!
46'
Villarreal get play restarted as the second half gets underway!
No player changes for either side after the break, but Calleja is now shaping up his team in a 4-5-1 formation with Fornals and Chukwueze out on the wings, leaving Moreno to lead the line on his own.
45'
HALF-TIME: BARCELONA 1-0 VILLARREAL
41'
Pedraza plays a poor ball, ending a rare Villarreal foray into the final third. However, they get the ball back and Moreno takes a shot which is then blocked by Lenglet! Have the Yellow Submarines finally woken up somewhat after that goal?
36'
Dembele, who has been Barca’s best player so far, gets himself an assist as his second stab at whipping the ball into the box is a good one thanks to Pique’s towering header.
GOOOAAALLL! BARCA GET THE LEAD! Dembele’s second attempt at delivering the ball into the box after his initial corner was blocked is met by the head of Pique, who was simply more aggressive than his markers and leaps over them to power it past Asenjo! 1-0 to the Blaugrana, and it had been coming for a while!
35'
Piqué has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by O. Dembélé.
Messi and Vidal interchanging once again as the latter wriggles the ball out to Dembele, who forces Barca’s fifth corner.
27'
Messi’s set-piece is tame though, as Asenjo catches it after it had sailed over the wall.
26'
Álvaro González gets yellow.
Another good free-kick opportunity for Messi as Gonzalez is cautioned for bringing the Barca talisman down in the midst of one of his runs. The first real threat the Argentine has provided so far.
24'
Cazorla and Pedraza take out Semedo and the former tries to conjure something up for his side, but Moreno’s unable to get on the end of anything and Barca get the ball back.
23'
Dembele tries to curl one from just outside the box after another extended passage of Barca possession, but Asenjo comfortably gathers the ball.
21'
Alba plays a decent one-two with Coutinho and goes on a lung-bursting run in an attempt to catch the pass, but his cross from the byline is overhit and Villarreal clear.
19'
The lively Dembele breaks down the wing once again and brings Messi into play, who combines with Busquets and spreads the ball around the midfield as the home side continue to probe around a game Villarreal side.
18'
C. Lenglet gets yellow.
Chukwueze goes down after a high foot by Lenglet, and the France defender gets his side’s first booking.
12'
Messi takes the set-piece, but the wall does its job and the away side concede the match’s fourth corner. It’s taken short, but Dembele’s wild shot goes high over Asenjo’s goal.
11'
Víctor Ruiz gets yellow.
Vidal quickly gets the ball out to Messi, and the Argentina playmaker is tripped by Ruiz in dangerous free-kick territory. The Villarreal defender gets himself the game’s first booking.
7'
The set-piece is taken quickly, and Semedo gets the ball to Messi who takes his time choosing his options. He gets it to Rakitic out on the wing, but his cross is too deep. However, Dembele gets it before it can go out of play, and he threatens Pedraza with some fancy footwork before his delivery is cleared!
6'
Rakitic makes a decent run down the middle but is tripped by Caseres, giving away a free-kick. Messi takes his first touch and the ball eventually gets to Dembele, who drives down the wing and forces the match’s first corner.
4'
Chukwueze wriggles his way out of a couple of Barca challenges and spreads the ball out wide to help his side retain some possession, but Cazorla is dispossessed and the home side get the ball back. More good play by the young Nigeria forward.
2'
Chukwueze does very well to break down the right and get into the Blaugrana box, but his low cross is gathered by Ter Stegen. Villarreal reminding their more illustrious opponents of what they can be capable of after some extended Barca pressure.
1'
Both teams are decked out in their usual colours, with Barcelona in their iconic red-and-blue and Villarreal in all-yellow.
Referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero blows his whistle, and Barcelona get us underway at the Camp Nou!
Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of this LaLiga clash as top scorers Barcelona host Villarreal at the Camp Nou!
Despite a growing injury list, Ernesto Valverde should be confident of picking up three vital points at home against a side who haven’t beaten them in 18 previous attempts in the league (won 13, drew five). Coming off the back of a 2-1 win at PSV which assures them of their place in the first knockout round of the Champions League, the Blaugrana will be looking to bounce back from a defeat and a draw against Real Betis and Atletico Madrid respectively with a commanding win - especially with the latter and Sevilla piling on the pressure at the top.
Meanwhile, Villarreal are seeking only their fourth league win of what has been a mediocre campaign so far. Javier Calleja’s side have won only one of their last five LaLiga matches as they sit only a spot and three points off the relegation places, and the Yellow Submarines are now having to pick themselves up from a disappointing Europa League stalemate at Rangers on Thursday at a ground where they haven’t emerged victorious from since March 2008.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, let’s take a look at how both sides line up, starting with the hosts.
VILLARREAL XI (4-2-3-1): Sergio Asenjo; Mario Gaspar (c), Alvaro Gonzalez, Victor Ruiz, Alfonso Pedraza; Manu Trigueros, Santiago Caseres; Samuel Chukwueze, Pablo Fornals, Santi Cazorla; Gerard Moreno.
SUBSTITUTES: Inaki Pena, Chumi, Juan Miranda, Carles Alena, Denis Suarez, Munir El Haddadi, Malcom.
BARCELONA XI (4-3-3): Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Nelson Semedo, Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet, Jordi Alba; Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets, Arturo Vidal; Ousmane Dembele, Lionel Messi (c), Coutinho.
SUBSTITUTES: Andres Fernandez, Karl Toko Ekambi, Jaume Costa, Carlos Bacca, Raba, Manuel Morlanes, Ramiro Funes Mori.
The players are out and kick-off is drawing near as the fans belt out the club anthem.
It’s been an efficient Blaugrana performance so far, but one can’t help but feel that Valverde would’ve liked to have seen a more ruthless display. However, the gulf in class has been apparent despite the slender lead, and Dembele has continued to give left-back Pedraza a torrid time out on the wing, providing more of a threat than his more illustrious team-mates up-front.
Villarreal had the best chance of the half when Moreno’s shot bounced clear off of the woodwork from close range. Aside from that one opportunity though, Calleja’s side have been second-best throughout. With both of their centre-backs having already picked up a booking apiece, caution would need to be exercised as a defensive performance from the Yellow Submarines is imminent after the interval.
And that wraps up our coverage. We hope you enjoyed our commentary, and until next time, goodbye!
Next up for Barca is a Copa del Rey round-of-32 second-leg against Cultural Leonesa at home on Wednesday before a hotly-contested Catalan derby against Espanyol next Saturday. Villarreal also have domestic cup duties on the same day as they host Almeria before a vital league clash against Celta Vigo next weekend.
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