La Liga top 3 clash: Barça narrowly beats Villarreal 2-0, extending winning streak to 8 and leading by 4 points; Yamal scores and causes red card.

At 23:15 on December 21st Beijing time, the 17th round of La Liga featured a top three showdown, with third-placed Villarreal hosting league leaders Barça.

In the first half, Rafinha won a penalty and scored it himself to open the scoring, then hit the crossbar on a follow-up shot missing a chance to increase the lead. Yamal caused Vega to receive a straight red card, reducing Villarreal to 10 men, and Barça led 1-0 at the break. In the second half, captain De Jong assisted Yamal’s goal to widen the margin.

In the end, Barça won 2-0 away at Villarreal, securing their eighth consecutive victory and continuing to lead with 46 points, 4 points ahead of Real Madrid. Villarreal’s six-game winning streak was snapped; they have played two fewer matches, holding 35 points in fourth place!

For Villarreal vs Barça, Marcelino deployed a 4-4-2 formation with a starting lineup valued at 125 million euros;Flick set up a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ferran leading the attack, Fermin behind him, flanked by Rafinha and Yamal on the wings. De Jong partnered Eric Garcia in midfield, with Balde, Martin, Cubasí, and Conti forming the back four. Joan Garcia was in goal, and the starting lineup was valued at 730 million euros..

Although Barça appeared to win comfortably by two goals, it was actually a hard-fought victory. Pedri’s absence significantly weakened Barça’s midfield control and passing rhythm. Every clean sheet by Joan Garcia was earned through full commitment and several outstanding saves. Barça faced many dangers throughout the match but managed to secure the 3 points in this top-three La Liga encounter. Their defense has declined notably this season, but the attack was bolstered by Rafinha’s return, continuing his consistent contributions from last season with a penalty won and converted, and Yamal scoring plus drawing a direct red card. Lewandowski and Rashford came off the bench, ensuring continued attacking strength. Ultimately, thanks to the goalkeeper’s superb performance and captain De Jong’s orchestration, Barça won 2-0 away at Villarreal, achieving an eighth straight La Liga victory, maintaining a 4-point lead, and firmly holding control of the league title race.

Throughout the match, Barça held 79% possession, but Villarreal’s counterattacks were very sharp. Barça had 19 shots, while Villarreal, with only 21% possession, managed 14 shots. Both sides had 5 shots on target. Judging by the statistics, Barça’s win was indeed a narrow one.