Lamine and Raphinha shine in the rain

Let me begin this column by sending a respectful embrace to the family and loved ones of Jesús de Miguel. The soccer world is in mourning; no one is prepared to accept that such tragedies can happen on the field. Rest in peace, goal-scorer. As for the match, I won’t be very original in saying that Barça has already put its losses to PSG and Real Madrid behind it. While the 6-1 win over Alavés didn’t entirely dispel doubts about how the opponent would approach the game, the clear 3-0 victory over a tough Aston Villa side certainly does the trick, and Flick’s men have once again demonstrated the superiority they displayed at the start of the season.

The match got off to a good start for the Azulgranas when Lamine Yamal capitalized on a poor pass by Joao Gomes in his own box and beat Suzuki with a shot across the goal. It was his 14th Champions League goal, surpassing Mbappé as the competition’s top scorer under the age of 20. The Birmingham players, seeing that the No. 10 was in the zone, tried to slow him down with fouls that were borderline, and Maatsen was shown a yellow card for one of them in the 11th minute. Unai Emery’s team reacted quickly, and Joao Gomes himself had a good chance off a corner kick, but Cancelo blocked a clear shot with his body, preventing the 1-1 equalizer.

Barça had to watch out for the English side’s counterattacks, where the speedy Nico Jackson posed a real threat. On the first clear chance, Joan García was quick to step out of the box to avert the danger. Barça’s second chance also stemmed from a passing error as Villa tried to clear the ball. Raphinha’s pressure on Joao Gomes following a risky pass by Suzuki left Gordon with a chance to make it 2-0, but the Japanese goalkeeper saved his shot. Joan García was once again decisive in stopping a close-range shot by Manzambi. Barça kept trying, but Aston Villa didn’t give them much room to work with, although everything could have changed right before halftime when the Italian referee failed to issue what seemed like a clear red card to Nico Jackson for a hard stomp on Cubarsí that left the Catalan center back shaken.

The second half began with a surprising substitution, as Marc Bernal was replaced by Rodri. The former City player, who was marked very tightly in the first half, was perhaps being saved for Sunday’s match at the Metropolitano, where the league lead is on the line. The match was wide open, and luck ultimately tipped the scales in Flick’s team’s favor when Raphinha made it 2-0 with a shot that wasn’t particularly powerful but deflected off Paul Torres and went in just inside Suzuki’s post. This goal allowed the home team to ease up a bit, knowing they had dealt a blow to their opponent. Unai Emery responded with a triple substitution, bringing on Goretzka, Barkley, and Mbaye.

Aston Villa hadn’t yet regrouped after the substitutions when the third goal came. Raphinha struck again, finishing from close range after an impressive pass from Cancelo with the outside of his foot that slipped through three defenders. The English side mounted a brief comeback and nearly cut into the lead, first with a header by Goretzka that hit the post and then with a run by Mbaye that Joan García deflected for a corner. Flick gave more players a rest in the final 20 minutes, taking Fermín, Pedri, and Raphinha off the field.

The 3-0 score made the outcome a foregone conclusion. Lamine appealed for a penalty after a questionable challenge by Kamara on him, but Italian referee Massa didn’t see it that way. It’s true that Aston Villa never gave up, but they were powerless in a match that had already been decided. It’s a scenario Unai Emery has experienced many times; in his 31 matches against Barça, he has managed just three wins against 22 losses. Barça kept a clean sheet with that makeshift defense, which is also a victory for a team looking to maintain its lead this Sunday at the Metropolitano and head into the break with all its aspirations intact.