FULL TIME: Barcelona 3-1 Villarreal
And that’s that! Barcelona have one foot in their 37th final, though Villarreal at least have an away goal, and will be hoping for a magical night at La Madrigal that’d take them to their first.
90 min +3: Now it’s Alves’s turn to race down the left channel, but he can’t quite latch onto a long ball. He was close, though, and he’d have been one on one with Asenjo, albeit from a tight angle.
90 min +2: Messi tries a shot while meandering down the inside-left channel. He doesn’t connect properly.
90 min +1: And they nearly do. Suarez, on the edge of the centre circle, spots Asenjo miles off his line. He decides to shoot, as he does. It’s a fine effort, and has Asenjo beaten, but it floats just wide left of the left-hand post. Nearly a spectacular end to this game. The Barca supporters chant the man’s name again. They’ve made it quite clear tonight that they are appreciative of his talent, despite a slow-ish start at the club.
90 min: There will be four added minutes of this. Villarreal can’t afford to concede again.
89 min: Mario is back on, but he’s hobbling around in the 1950s FA Cup Final style.
87 min: Suarez goes in the book, and this is farcical, preposterous. He’s booked because Musacchio has accidentally stepped on his own man Mario’s leg, as the Villarreal pair moved in on Suarez in a pincer movement. So Suarez has either been fingered for a foul he didn’t commit, or he’s booked for complaining that play wasn’t allowed to continue, the ref having blown up for a “foul”. Either way, Suarez is within his rights to have the funk on. Mind you, most sympathy should go to Mario, who can’t continue. And Villarreal have used up all their subs.
85 min: Vietto makes good down the left again, and curls a cross into the centre. There’s no pace on it, though Giovani does his best to put something into it, 12 yards out, level with the left-hand post. Ter Stegen, who has had a shocker in this second half, isn’t dropping this one, as the ball sails serenely into his cupped gloves.
83 min: Villarreal could be right back in this. Will they live to regret those spurned opportunities, especially the Giovani header?
81 min: Vietto makes good down the inside left, laying off inside for Moi Gomes, who belts a low shot towards the bottom right. Mathieu bravely throws himself in the road, taking one smack on the noggin. Rukavina has another go, picking up the loose ball and cutting in from the right before shooting from the edge of the area. That one’s more conventionally dealt with.
79 min: Vietto slides a lovely ball down the left for Giovani. Pique slides in to concede a corner. The ball’s hoicked into the middle. Ter Stegen comes out to punch clear, but only flaps instead. Giovani has a clear header from six yards, but somehow plants it wide right, with the keeper rolling around on his Aristotle.
76 min: Neymar launches a garryowen into the Villarreal box. Asenjo rises to pluck the ball from the sky, and is clattered by Messi in mid air. The greatest players in the world throwing some rugby union shapes there. In fact the rugby theme continues, as Messi and Asenjo shake hands, sportingly, like grown adults. There’s nice.
75 min: Villarreal boss Marcelino is sent to the stand for effin’ and jeffin’ on the touchline. Or his he? No. Thought he walked, but he was just told to pipe down.
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73 min: Cheryshev is replaced by Moi Gomes. Villarreal attempting to keep the score down here, because Barcelona are rampant right now.
72 min: Rakitic nearly makes it 4-1 anyway, cutting in from the right and battering a stunning shot towards the top right from 12 yards. But Asenjo tips the ball round, and the corner’s dealt with easily enough.
Barca miss the penalty!
71 min: Neymar is handed the responsibility. A shake of the hips, and he fires low towards the left corner. But Asenjo is behind it all the way, parrying the effort out. Justice done.
Penalty for Barcelona!
70 min: This is attack versus defence now. No guesses for who’s got the fun gig. Messi just to the left of the D, steps into the area. The ball spurts into the air and hits Musacchio on his left shoulder. The referee, outrageously, points to the spot. Oh come on. Even if that hit the top of his arm, it was accidental, and there was no way Musacchio could get out of the way. But penalty it is.
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68 min: Rafinha, who has been lively and skilful this evening, is replaced by Rakatic.
67 min: Alves attempts to release Messi into the area down the right with a backheel, executed after a gentle spin. Nope. But full marks for trying.
66 min: Pina batters Neymar to the floor with a scything challenge. That’s a no-brainer yellow, which given the man’s kit can be taken in more ways than one.
GOAL! Barcelona 3-1 Villarreal (Pique 64)
Messi has been fairly quiet (by his own standards) since the restart. He reaches the byline on the right, and his looping cross is deflected out for a corner. Messi takes it himself, sending a high ball from the right arcing to the far post. Musacchio is a-kip, and Pique is free to plant a majestic header into the top left!
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62 min: From a Barca corner, forced by a Suarez snapshot in the right-hand portion of the Villarreal box, the visitors break upfield. They’re four on two! Rukavina makes off down the left, but just as he’s about to shuttle the ball on for Cheryshev, splitting Barca asunder, Mascherano comes romping across to make a crunching challenge. Crump! What a tackle! Straight out of the old school. Straight out of Argentina. Superlative defending.
59 min: Musacchio lightly clips Suarez’s right boot as the pair chase a ball that’s going backwards, out of the Villarreal area. Suarez goes down with a scream, and he’s over-reacted. But then again, illegal contact is illegal contact. A fair claim for a penalty, there. It would have been one of the cheapest, silliest penalties of all time, but Musacchio would have had few complaints.
58 min: Barcelona are bossing play again, pressing the visitors back a lot. Villarreal look to break clear a couple of times down the right through Vietto, but the long passes aren’t sticking.
55 min: Barcelona triangulate at speed down the left. Mascherano then sprays a gorgeous crossfield pass towards Alves on the right. Alves whips a high cross to the near post, where Suarez heads over from 12 yards. A decent effort for most people, nutted goalwards with power from distance, but that was a close-range header by Suarez’s standards!
53 min: Vietto slides a lovely pass down the inside left to release Giovani into the area. He’s got the chance to pull this back from the byline to the left of goal, and set up Vietto, but the flag goes up incorrectly for offside. Or maybe Giovani had a toe in an offside position. Where’s the benefit to the attacker? That was surely too close to call, first time, at high speed.
50 min: Dos Santos picked up an injury just before Trigueros’s belter, and has been replaced by Rukavina. Villarreal will be highly irritated at losing the momentum so quickly, but with that away goal, they’re in a better position than they were at half time.
GOAL! Barcelona 2-1 Villarreal (Iniesta 49)
An away goal for Villarreal, then, but they’ve lost the lead within one minute and 44 seconds. Iniesta one-twos with Suarez down the inside left to break into the area, and lashes low and into the bottom right as the away side snooze. Not a bad start to the second half, huh?
WHAT A GOAL! Barcelona 1-1 Villarreal (Trigueros 47)
Suarez is forced to head the corner out for another. That second one is just about cleared, but then Suarez lays off a lazy pass, allowing Trigueros to take up possession down the inside right. And goodness me! This is a stunner! A hammer from 25 yards, walloped into the top net at vicious speed ... though it’s gone straight through Ter Stegen’s hands. Poor keeping, but that was hit with such venom, you can almost (almost) excuse the mistake!
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46 min: No changes, by the way. Vietto embarks on a determined run down the right, and bustles into the area. He gets some sort of shot away. It’s not the best, truth be told, but good enough to force a deflection for a corner out on the right.
And we’re off again! Barcelona, who had 73% of the ball in the first half, ratchet up that stat by a few hundredths of a percentage point by kicking off. Stats, eh. Don’t you just love ‘em? (Correct answer: no.)
Half-time entertainment: This is marvellous, and not a little hypnotic.
HALF TIME: Barcelona 1-0 Villarreal
... the whistle goes. Villarreal faff around so long over the set piece, the referee can’t be bothered to wait for them to take it. Half time. Villarreal have the funk on, but only have themselves to blame for not hoicking it into the area in the hope of carving out one last chance in the first half. Not a classic, but the scoreline’s about right so far.
45 min +1: Or do they? They nearly level the scores, and grab a precious away goal! Cheryshev strides down the left, and whips a cross into the centre. From six yards, Vietto twists and curls an effort towards the bottom right. It’s not hit sweetly, but it’s heading in, and for a second it looks as though Ter Stegen isn’t going to get there. But he extends a finger to turn it round the post! A corner, at which point ...
45 min: Alves chips a ball down the inside-right channel and into the box. Suarez chests down and swivels to shoot. He can’t get his shot away, but Messi, on his right shoulder, can. He belts from close range, but a tight angle, into the side netting. Villarreal have lost their discipline. They really need to hear the half-time whistle, in order to regroup.
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44 min: Neymar shoots, or does he cross, from a position down the inside-left channel, just inside the area. Suarez is a toe’s length away from sliding in at the far post and converting, bottom right. But no.
43 min: Messi attempts to return the favour, flicking a delicious little ball round the corner, down the right wing, to spring Suarez into the box. Suarez lashes a shot across Asenjo and towards the bottom left, but drags it a bit and the ball flies wide of the target. So much for that lack of confidence. What do I know? Ter Stegen has touched the ball six times, that’s what I know!
GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Villarreal (Messi 41)
So much for Suarez and his lack of confidence! He steals the ball off Musacchio down the left, and strides into the box. He cuts it back, onto the penalty spot, where Messi rushes in to belt home! The home crowd make a point of chanting Suarez’s name. He’ll feel at home here soon enough, I’ll be bound.
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39 min: Ter Stegen’s certainly touched it now, punching clear with confidence as Cheryshev swings a free kick in from the left. Barca break upfield, through Suarez down the left, but he’s lost a bit of confidence since his move from Liverpool, and wanders down a blind alley.
38 min: Actually, he’s touched the ball five times. That’ll serve me right for stealing facts from the Sky commentary team. MBM karma in action, right there.
37 min: Having said that, Ter Stegen hasn’t touched the ball at all yet!
36 min: Asenjo hasn’t had a shot on target to deal with yet.
35 min: Alves, hovering down the inside-right channel, slides a pass along the channel for Suarez, who enters the area, swivels, and scoops a cross into the middle. Neymar is preparing to meet the cross, but Ruiz rises to eyebrow away.
33 min: The already departed Bruno is replaced by Trigueros.
32 min: Rafinha slips a ball down the inside-right, releasing Mathieu into the box. The defender lashes an unstoppable shot into the top right. Fine effort. Problem is, he was yards offside. The flag goes up. Villarreal remain intact.
31 min: Bruno has injured himself while sliding in to challenge Iniesta back there. He’s whisked off on the emergency truck. He looked in a lot of pain, having sat on his own foot and bent it backwards. Not sure he’ll be coming back.
29 min: Messi could do with a bit of accuracy, actually. Iniesta strides into the box down the left. He dribbles past a couple of men before cutting back for Messi, on the edge of the box. Messi takes a first-time swipe, and lashes a dismal effort by his standards over the bar.
28 min: Barcelona have enjoyed nearly 70% of the possession so far. If you want to be exact, it’s 68%, but “nearly 70%” sounds better. Who needs accuracy?
26 min: A moment of blessed relief for Villarreal, who knock it around in the middle of the park awhile. They go absolutely nowhere, but they’re more than a quarter of the way through the match now, and they’ve yet to concede.
24 min: Alba crosses from the left. Messi, on the edge of the area to the left of the D, attempts to recreate Zinedine Zidane’s volley in the 2002 Champions League final. Flay! Whoosh! Air-swipe! You don’t see that very often. He’s only human, a mass of contradictions made flesh.
22 min: Messi sashays (yep) down the right. He’s got Costa backpedalling in Full Panic mode. Messi whips a gorgeous low ball through the six-yard box. Suarez was a toenail away from prodding home at the near post. Very close to the opening goal there.
20 min: Mascherano is down injured. A really nasty stamp on the instep by Vietto, studs up, with not much control. The striker’s lucky not to get at least a booking for that. Mascherano looks like he’ll be OK, which allows us to enjoy his reaction at being fouled a little bit more: it was a full hop through 360 degrees while screaming YAROO! Straight out of the DC Thomson cartoon playbook from 1948.
18 min: Villarreal can’t get out from their own half. Barca are pinning them back in some style, though in fairness Asenjo hasn’t had too much to do so far.
16 min: A couple of chances for Suarez within a minute. First, racing into the area at full speed, he toe-ends a deep Messi right-wing cross wide left of goal. Then he heads a deep left-wing Alba cross wide right. A deflection on that second effort, and the set piece is a complete waste of time. It’s fairly open, this game.
15 min: Suarez goes down in the Villarreal box, under the slightest pressure from Musacchio. There was contact, but not much, and the referee isn’t having it. The visitors break upfield through Vietto, and he’s only (only!) got a couple of men to beat. Chance to head for the box, but he checks back and the moment is gone. A couple of gaps are appearing in the Barca defence, though.
14 min: Villarreal are set up to hit Barca on the break. Cheryshev thinks about romping down the left, with the hosts light at the back, but faffs around and the chance to apply a bit of rare pressure is gone.
12 min: This is fairly relentless. Suarez, down the right channel, nudges a ball to his left. Messi, on the right-hand edge of the D, hits a no-backlift riser towards the top right. There’s no real power in the effort, or at least not enough to beat Asenjo. The home fans are beginning to get into this.
11 min: Messi sashays - does he ever do anything but sashay? - in from the right. A third looping cross of the evening. This one flies off the head of Mario, and out for a corner on the left. The set piece is, once again, a non-event.
10 min: Messi again crosses deep from the right. Suarez is ready to spring, a couple of yards away from the left-hand post, but Asenjo punches clear. Barca are soon coming back at their guests, though, with the fully revived Alves busting down the right to win a corner. The set piece is nothing to write home about, but Barca are beginning to knock at the door.
9 min: Suarez shovels a pass wide right for Messi, who crosses deep looking for Neymar. Musacchio is on hand to deal with the situation, again.
8 min: Messi and Neymar exchange passes down the inside-left channel. Messi’s pitching wedge of a pass nearly finds his team-mate in the area, but Musacchio is big and strong, and mops up.
6 min: Alves is down receiving treatment after being clattered by Vietto. The Villarreal striker clipped his right ankle, but it’s his left knee that seems to be the problem. Twist and shout. He hobbles off, but is soon back on. This game’s yet to get going. Two legs, isn’t it.
5 min: Here’s a stat, courtesy of the News International Television Service. Villarreal have scored the opening goal in their last 21 matches! That includes their last visit here. Let’s see if they can keep this up, then.
3 min: A ball over the top nearly springs Alves into the Villarreal box down the right. Costa rises to head powerfully clear. A fairly placid start, though Barca are enjoying the lion’s share of possession.
And we’re off! Villarreal get the ball rolling. A bit of stroking it around by both teams, to little effect. There’s not much of an atmosphere in Camp Nou right now. Two legs, you see.
The teams are out! Villarreal are dressed in their famous yellow. The Yellow Submarine will be hoping in-form, rampant Barcelona aren’t blaugrana meanies. Yes, OK, I know. We’ll be off in a minute. But first a moment’s jazz violin for the recently departed erstwhile Barca manager Udo Lattek. What a fine touch. A plaintive fiddle is much more touching than simple silence or, worse, nervous applause. Can this catch on in Britain, please?
¡The teams!
Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Alves, Pique, Mathieu, Alba, Rafinha, Mascherano, Iniesta, Messi, Suarez, Neymar.
Subs: Masip, Bartra, Adriano, Busquets, Rakitic, Xavi, Pedro.
Villarreal: Asenjo, Mario, Musacchio, Victor Ruiz, Jaume Costa, dos Santos, Pina, Bruno, Cheryshev, Giovani, Vietto.
Subs: Carlos, Campbell, Trigueros, Dorado, Gomez, Rukavina, Moreno.
Referee: Alejandro Hernández Hernández.
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Barcelona have reached the final of the Copa del Rey 36 times, winning on 26 occasions; Villarreal, on the other hand, have yet to get there once. But then again, Neymar and Luis Suarez have never played in a Spanish cup final either. So who wants it more? We’re about to start finding out! (Sort of. Does anyone like two-legged semi-finals? Answer: No.)
Barcelona are hot favourites to establish a first-leg lead. They’ve won their last nine games in all competitions, a run of form which has seen them close on Primera Liga leaders Real Madrid in the title race, and knock Spanish champions Atlético Madrid out of the cup. They’ve beaten Villarreal home and away already this season. They’re at home again tonight. And their stellar squad have, in their past 12 games, registered two scores of four, three of five, one of six, and another of eight. Gulp!
But Villarreal have a track record to boast of themselves. They’ve lost only one of their last 20 games in all competitions, and that was a 3-2 defeat at Camp Nou in which they’d taken the lead twice, and were only undone by Lionel Messi, which hardly makes them unique. In winger Denis Cheryshev, they’ve got one of Spain’s players of the season. And the quick-breaking Yellow Submarine are an accomplished sixth in the league, chasing a Champions League spot, and of course are also looking for their first-ever appearance in a Copa del Rey final.
True, they’re a long-priced 11-1 to win tonight. But staying in the tie before next month’s second leg at El Madrigal will suffice. This, therefore, could be a fascinating encounter. Another of those five-goal thrillers wouldn’t go amiss. It’s on! ¡Vamos, esto está sucediendo! (I can’t speak a word of Spanish. I’m relying on the internet here. Does that even make sense? Where’s Sid when you need him?)
Kick off: 8pm in Barcelona, 7pm in London.
