Barcelona 5-1 Villarreal: Dembele joins the party
Dembele struck twice as Barcelona crushed the Yellow Submarine
Two more steps to go. That was what this win was about, moving closer to the unbeaten season. Barcelona had too much for Villarreal, who, sixth and heading for the Europa League, didn’t seem to care too much.
FC Barcelona
5 ________________ 1
Villarreal CF
LINE UP
FC Barcelona
Cillessen, Semedo, Piqué (Yerry Mina, 77'), Vermaelen, Digne, Busquets (Rakitic, 65'), Paulinho, Iniesta (c) (Luis Suárez, 61'), Coutinho, Dembélé y Messi.
Villarreal CF
Asenjo, Mario (c), Alvaro, Victor Ruiz, Jaume Costa, Trigueros (Javi Fuego, 56'), Rodrigo, Samu Castillejo, Fornals, Cheryshev (Sansone, 45') y Bacca (Ünal, 70').
Goles
1-0, min 10. Coutinho, tras un rechace de Asenjo. 2-0, min. 15. Paulinho, a puerta vacía y a pase de Digne. 3-0, min. 44. Messi, a pase de Iniesta. 3-1, min. 54. Sansone desvía un disparo de Fornals. 4-1, min. 87. Dembélé remata a puerta vacía tras una gran jugada de Rakitic. 5-1, min. 90+2. Dembélé supera a Asenjo tras recorrer en solitario casi 30 metros.
Árbitro
Sánchez Martínez (comité murciano). Amonestó con cartulina amarilla a Victor Ruiz (43'), Javi Fuego (71'), Mario (80').
Incidencias
Partido correspondiente a la jornada 34 de la Liga Santander, disputado en el Camp Nou ante 54.743 espectadores. El Barça homenajeó a las secciones profesionales (baloncesto, balonmano, fútbol sala y hockey patines) por sus títulos de Copa del Rey. El Villarreal realizó pasillo al Barça como reconocimiento a su título de Liga.
It was also about Ousmane Dembele showing Camp Nou what he can do, with two goals, and Andres Iniesta showing Camp Nou what they will be missing - he will appear there just once more before leaving at the end of the season.
Barcelona were in no mood to mess around and there was no Clasico hangover, and Ernesto Valverde’s many rotations did not slow the team down.
In fact, they quite literally sped it up, with Dembele’s pace creating the first goal. He zipped away from three and then sent a low shot at goal, parried by Sergio Asenjo, for Philippe Coutinho to tap home.
The second goal came from the masterly hand of Iniesta, who played in Lucas Digne to cross for Paulinho to tap in his ninth goal of the season. An impressive tally from a man mocked when Barca signed him.
The third came before half-time with Lionel Messi scoring a sensational volley after Iniesta’s delightful chipped pass.
That was it, and even though Nicola Sansone pulled one back when he deflected Pablo Fornals’ shot in, Villarreal had little hope of fighting back.
Dembele made sure of that with two late goals, one tapped home after Ivan Rakitic’s dribble, and the other a work of his own making.
The Frenchman ran from his own half with the ball to score, lobbing Asenjo and giving Barca a taste of what is to come from him next season.
