Raphinha struck twice to propel Barcelona to a 3-0 Champions League win over visitors Aston Villa on Tuesday, ending the English side’s perfect start to the football competition.
Five-time winners Barcelona took an early lead through Lamine Yamal before Raphinha continued his fine goal-scoring form with a second-half brace.
Barca bounced back after defeat to champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in their previous European outing to stay in the hunt for a top-eight league phase berth.
Manager Unai Emery’s Villa competed well in the first half, but were eventually undone by Barca’s greater ability in the final third.
The Champions League anthem was not played before the game, as a mark of respect for Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, who died of a cardiac arrest on Tuesday morning after an on-pitch collision in a Spanish second-division match the previous day, provoking shock across the football world.
“Yes, it was [a good win]; I want to dedicate this win to the fans, but today I don’t want to talk about football, I want to send a message to the family of Jesus – may he rest in peace,” Raphinha told Movistar.
“This can happen to anyone; it’s very tough … you’re going to play a game, and the same thing can happen to you…
“From the club, I want to send a message of strength to the family.”
Villa captain John McGinn had only visited Camp Nou once previously, on a summer holiday as an eight-year-old, and might have expected better weather than the downpour both teams were subjected to.
The skipper might also have expected a more focused start, with Villa handing Barcelona the lead in the seventh minute.
The Spanish champions pressed Aston Villa extremely high, and Joao Gomes played a poor pass straight to Yamal in his own box. The 19-year-old winger gladly took the gift and stroked past Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.
Emery, who endured one of the worst nights of his career away at Barca when helming PSG in 2017 during a 6-1 defeat, may have feared the worst.
However, Villa reacted strongly, and Matty Cash had a vicious drive deflected narrowly wide before Joao Cancelo blocked Gomes’s effort.
Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia was quick off his line to beat Nicolas Jackson to a dangerous through-ball.
Suzuki saved from Anthony Gordon as Villa again struggled to bring the ball out from the back under Barca’s pressing.
Garcia was called into action again by Johan Manzambi as the match lurched from end-to-end.
Barcelona extended their lead early in the second half when Fermin Lopez fed Raphinha, who showed quick footwork before finding the bottom corner.
Cancelo powered a strike narrowly over before setting up Raphinha for Barcelona’s third with a superb cross with the outside of his boot.
The Brazil winger, who has made the number nine position his own this season, pounced from close range for his 19th goal of the season across all competitions.
Yamal sent a shot skidding wide as Barcelona probed for a fourth. It did not come, but the Catalan giants were able to record a first Champions League clean sheet in 19 games.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Bayern Munich and PSG underlined their Champions League title credentials with victories over Atletico Madrid and Villarreal respectively, while Manchester United came from two goals down to snatch a dramatic win over AS Roma.
Bayern broke down a stubborn Atletico side in Madrid as second-half goals from Lennart Karl and Konrad Laimer secured victory, while PSG set a record as the fastest team to score four goals in a Champions League match on their way to a 6-0 victory.
At Old Trafford, Matheus Cunha struck twice in quick succession after the break as United overturned a two-goal deficit to beat Roma 3-2, the comeback following protests by home supporters.
Source: www.aljazeera.com
