Barcelona climbed above Aston Villa into second place in the Champions League standings on Tuesday night, beating the Premier League side 3-0 at the Nou Camp, according to Sky Sports.
Raphinha scored twice early in the second half after Lamine Yamal had given the hosts a seventh-minute lead. The result ended Villa's three-match winning run in the competition and handed manager Unai Emery his heaviest European defeat, The Telegraph reports.
The match was Villa's first at the Nou Camp in 46 years and was played in heavy rain in Catalonia. Emery, who turned 55 on the day, had seen his team lose only one of their previous nine matches before the trip.
Why it matters
The win lifts Hansi Flick's side above Villa in the league phase table, a direct swing in the race for position ahead of the knockout rounds. Sky Sports notes that Barcelona have been scoring freely this season, at an average of four goals per game, and they needed only seven minutes to get started.
For Villa, the night brought a sharp check on their European form. As The Telegraph reported, it was the heaviest defeat Emery has suffered in European competition. The Guardian described the match as a reality check for the visitors.
A gift for Yamal, then a quick double
The opening goal came from a Villa error. Sky Sports reports that goalkeeper Suzuki played short from a goal kick and Joao Gomes then sent a blind pass across his own penalty area. The ball fell to Yamal, who curled it into the far corner. It was the Spain forward's 13th goal of the campaign, to go with 11 assists.
Villa had chances to respond before the break. Sky Sports' report of the match lists a 19th-minute opening for Manzambi that was swept wide, and a 20th-minute opportunity for Jackson, played through by Manzambi, that was cleared by Garcia after he came out to meet the striker. In the 26th minute Suzuki played a risky pass to Joao Gomes and Barcelona pounced, but the goalkeeper recovered to keep out Gordon's shot.
Raphinha settled the contest shortly after the interval. His shot from just inside the area in the 52nd minute took a large deflection that wrong-footed Suzuki and went in. Twelve minutes later, Cancelo drove down the left and crossed with the outside of his boot, bending the ball around the defence into Raphinha's path for a simple finish.
Villa came close to a reply in the 69th minute when Goretzka met a corner and glanced a header that brushed the post, with Jackson unable to convert.
Emery points to missed chances
Speaking after the match, Emery said the scoreline did not reflect everything he saw from his team. "The result is not good. A lot of things were positive but it was not enough to get the result," he said, adding that his side was not clinical with the chances it created in the first half.
He said the way the team is being built was visible over the 90 minutes, pointing to a mix of young, talented and experienced players, and that Villa must keep working on their structure. "Good experience, bad result. At this level, you must be ruthless and avoid mistakes," he said. He also noted Villa have nine points from their work so far and said the players should feel good about that while staying realistic.
Sky Sports' summary of the match was blunter about the second period, describing Barcelona as the far better team after the break and Villa as never looking likely to get back into it.
Records and numbers from the night
Sky Sports reports that the defeat equals Villa's joint-heaviest in major European competition. The club also lost by three goals to Royal Antwerp in September 1975, going down 4-1, and to Internazionale in November 1990, losing 0-3, both in the UEFA Cup.
The same report notes that no Premier League club has made more errors leading to goals in all competitions this season than Villa, who have seven, level with Sunderland.
John McGinn made his 38th appearance for Villa in major European competition, the most of any player for the club, according to Sky Sports.
Villa's next task is to respond in the competition, with their position in the table now behind Barcelona's.
