Barcelona eased to a 3-0 Champions League victory over Aston Villa at Camp Nou, with Raphinha scoring twice after Lamine Yamal had put the hosts ahead. Villa had opportunities but struggled to turn them into a sustained threat against Barcelona’s possession and pressure.
Yamal opened the scoring after seven minutes, cutting in from the left and finishing into the far corner. Aston Villa responded with a spell of attacking pressure, including corners, while Johan Manzambi and Anthony Gordon both had attempts that failed to produce an equaliser.
Barcelona doubled their lead in the 52nd minute. Pedri drove through midfield and set up Raphinha, whose shot took a deflection on its way into the net. The midfielder was central to Barcelona’s control, before leaving the pitch to an ovation.
Raphinha added his second after João Cancelo created the chance with a low cross using the outside of his right foot. The goal was Raphinha’s 19th in 13 appearances for Barcelona this season, according to the match report.
Villa came close to reducing the deficit when a header from a corner struck the post, but Barcelona held on for a comfortable win. Emery said his side had “a lot of things to learn” and needed to be more ruthless in the final third. He added that the 3-0 scoreline may have been more than Villa deserved, while acknowledging that the team still had work to do to reach Barcelona’s level.
Sources: The Guardian Sport.