"Yet Sunday's match wasn't without a few defensive scares for Barcelona. Indeed television cameras have picked up Raphinha sharing his thoughts with Pau Cubarsi after the defender lost the ball and conceded a corner. "You don't always have to play pretty," were the words from the Brazilian to the young center-back as he prepared to help Barcelona defend the set-piece."
"Raphinha led by example once again in the win over Villarreal. He won and scored the penalty to break the deadlock and was within inches of adding a second when he hit the woodwork. The Brazilian was also one of the first on the scene after Renato Veiga had wiped out Lamine Yamal with an ugly tackle. An angry Raphinha was quick to approach the Villarreal bench to protest at the foul."
Barcelona beat Villarreal 2-0 in La Liga to sit top at Christmas, four points ahead of Real Madrid. The match included defensive scares, with television cameras capturing Raphinha advising young center-back Pau Cubarsi after he lost possession and conceded a corner: "You don't always have to play pretty." Raphinha won and converted the penalty that opened the scoring and struck the woodwork when close to a second. He was among the first to confront the aftermath after Renato Veiga's ugly tackle on Lamine Yamal. Raphinha angrily protested to the Villarreal bench, a complaint that preceded Veiga's red card and Villarreal finishing with ten men.
Read at Barca Blaugranes
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