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Barcelona Edges Villarreal After Red Card Drama
21 Dec
Summary
- Barcelona took an early lead via a Raphinha penalty.
- Villarreal were reduced to 10 men before halftime.
- Lamine Yamal scored to seal Barcelona's win.
Barcelona secured a narrow victory over Villarreal following a dramatic encounter. The match began with end-to-end action, but Barcelona took the lead in the 12th minute through a penalty converted by Raphinha, awarded after Santi Comesana fouled the Brazilian. Villarreal managed to find the net once, but the equalizer was controversially ruled offside.
A significant turning point occurred in the 39th minute when Villarreal's Veiga received a straight red card for a dangerous challenge, reducing the hosts to ten men. This tactical setback hampered Villarreal's ability to maintain parity against the reigning champions.
In the second half, Barcelona introduced reinforcements, including Marcus Rashford and Robert Lewandowski, to bolster their attack. This proved effective as Lamine Yamal found the back of the net just after the hour mark, doubling Barcelona's lead and ultimately sealing their win.
