"Raphinha and Lamine Yamal enjoyed starring roles as LaLiga leaders Barcelona restored their four-point advantage at the top with a comfortable 2-0 win at 10-man Villarreal. A eighth successive league victory ensured Hansi Flick's side finished the year with a healthy advantage over arch-rivals Real Madrid, in what increasingly looks like a two-horse race -- with third-placed Atletico Madrid already nine points behind."
"Raphinha cut inside only to be nudged over by Santi Comesaña, picking himself up to send Luiz Júnior the wrong way from the spot with a low drive for his fourth in the last three league games. The former Leeds winger almost doubled his tally just a couple of minutes later with a curling 20-yard effort which struck high up a post with Luiz Junior a mere onlooker."
Barcelona recorded a 2-0 victory at 10-man Villarreal to restore a four-point lead at the top of LaLiga. The win was Barcelona's eighth successive league victory, leaving them with a healthy advantage over Real Madrid while Atletico sit nine points behind in third. Raphinha won and converted a 12th-minute penalty and scored his fourth in three league games. Renato Veiga received a red card for fouling Lamine Yamal just before half-time, reducing Villarreal to ten men. Yamal added a goal midway through the second half, his third in five league matches. Villarreal had early chances but failed to convert. Andreas Christensen faces a lengthy spell out with an ACL problem.
Read at ESPN
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]