European roundup
Anyway ... what a cracking night of Barcelona showing what they are capable of, something they have shown very rarely this year. More of the same from now on, please. Thanks for joining me and goodnight.
Pique: “The three points are very important. The game was important for us and the way we play. We have had times when we haven’t played well but we played well today. We have to carry on like this for the remainder of the season.
“The goal for Antoine is very important to give him confidence.
“We are going to keep fighting to turn the situation around and playing for this club means fighting until the end.”
Full-time
A superb first-half performance from Barcelona put them in the driving seat and they were not to be budged. Villarreal slowed things down in the second-half but they were never really in it against a Barcelona side who showed how good they could be.
90+2 mins: Messi is felled just outside the area, allowing him the perfect chance to fire a free-kick at goal. He hits the bar and then Braithwaite heads the rebound at goal but Asenjo dives back to turn it behind.
90 mins: Five minutes added on.
89 mins: Andrea Orlandi on comms has just reminded me of the existence of Ousmane Dembele. That’s nice.
GOAL! Villarreal 1-4 Barcelona (Ansu Fati, 87)
Alba lifts the ball down the line to Ansu Fati, who drives into the box and then lets a shot off from 18 yards. It flicks off the legs of Albiol and ends up in the corner, having wrong-footed Asenjo.
Updated
85 mins: It’s no surprise that after 10 substitutions that the game has lost a bit of it’s lustre.
83 mins: Things are petering out here.
81 mins: Everyone is very hydrated for the final 10 minutes.
Messi, high on water, picks out Braithwaite in the box. The striker tries to go round the goalkeeper, but Asenjo holds his nerve, forcing the Dane to shoot straight at him.
77 mins: Chukwueze picks up the ball after Braithwaite is dispossessed, takes it into the box and flashes a low drive at goal but Ter Stegen gets down well and holds onto the ball.
Now we have a very late drinks break.
75 mins: Alba once again gets in down the left but his cross is cleared for a corner before Braithwaite can get on the end of it.
73 mins: Wonderfully annoying from VAR there.
NO GOAL! Villarreal 1-3 Barcelona
After a long delay, the goal is disallowed for an offside.
Updated
GOAL! Villarreal 1-4 Barcelona (Messi, 69)
It is all Barcelona in this half. The change in style has just made it more congested in midfield, meaning the visitors are just playing a little wider. On this occasion, fine work from Puig takes the ball forward, before Sergi Roberto is slipped through down the right, allowing him to pull it back for Messi to calmly find the corner from eight yards.
67 mins: Messi sends a delightful 50-yard through ball for Rakitic to chase, he collects it and finds Vidal in space but his low shot is repelled by Asenjo. The ball comes straight back at Villarreal, ending with Alba get the ball off Messi but his drive is also blocked by the goalkeeper.
65 mins: Messi is rubbing his toes as something seems to be irritating him. Hopefully he can carry on.
Griezmann, Bruno and Albiol clash. It looked a painful one but everyone gets up.
63 mins: Messi slips the ball out to Griezmann but his dangerous cross fails to find the onrushing Puig, as Villarreal head clear.
Puig performs an incredible dive to try and win a free-kick from Albiol. Don’t be a tosser, mate.
61 mins: Suarez and Semedo go off, with Puig and Rakitic coming on. Sergi Roberto reverts to right-back.
59 mins: Suarez gets beyond the defence thanks to a perfect Vidal pass but the Uruguayan delays giving it to Griezmann for a tap, instead holding onto the ball and hitting his shot against the side netting off the fingertips of Asenjo.
57 mins: Trigueros replaces Cazorla. He showed a few nice touches tonight but could exhibit the influence he wanted.
A dreadful pass from Semedo across the back is intercepted by Chukwueze but the winger takes a bad touch and it goes through to Ter Stegen. The winger complains that Lenglet held him back but the referee disagrees.
55 mins: The change in formation formation form Villarreal seems to have taken some of the freewheeling out of the game and it seems a little slower. Barcelona are happy to keep possession for as long as possible.
53 mins: Griezmann combines with Messi as the Frenchman chests down a cross into the path of his teammate, who goes for volley which loops into Asenjo’s arms.
51 mins: Messi tries to go on a run from around the halfway line but he is quickly crowded out and dispossessed as everyone is now playing in central midfield.
49 mins: There is an extra man in midfield for Villarreal and it has become pretty congested in the centre of the park. Barcelona might need to adjust his plan.
47 mins: No goals or even chances in the opening two minutes of the second period. Pathetic.
Second half
Let’s hope for more of the same.
Moi Gomez and Bruno are on for Villarreal. Luckily, Gerard Moreno has gone off, which solves one problem. Iborra is also off.
Jordi Gomez Suay rightly points out that I am an idiot: “Alcoyano is a humble team from the South of Valencian community, with a short stint in Primera in the 40’s. It’s mostly remembered for the expression “the morale of Alcoyano” (morale in sense of faith, optimism).
“One of the legends about the origin of the expression is that they had a player who would kick a corner and run to the melee in the box.
“We may think that Barça is playing Alcoyano if you don’t start distinguishing Alberto Moreno And Gerard Moreno.”
This gig isn’t easy!
Good player.
19 - Lionel Messi has provided 19 assists for @FCBarcelona in @LaLigaEN this season, his best ever return in a top-flight season. Impressive. pic.twitter.com/AxQOC7mDcy
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) July 5, 2020
Which goal was better? Suarez or Griezmann?
I will go with the latter.
Watch this on repeat as I lie down for 15 minutes.
Messi's lay off 😍
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) July 5, 2020
Griezmann's chip 🤤
Another ridiculous goal from Barca! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ICj0MrLVHN
Half-time
This is definitely the best game in the world post-restart. Barcelona have been utterly incredible and no one in the world could cope with them playing at this level. More of the same please after the break.
45 mins: Three minutes added on.
GOAL! Villarreal 1-3 Barcelona (Griezmann, 44)
WHAT A GOAL! Messi takes the ball off Griezmann, then looks to skip into the box, stops to backheel it to the Frenchman who exquisitely chips the ball from the edge of the box over the goalkeeper into the top corner. That was truly sublime.
Updated
42 mins: Suarez has two incredible chance to make it 3-1, as Alba gets in down the left again. He plays it into the Uruguayan, whose first shot is blocked and the second saved. Oh, they were both offside. Anyway, I am not wasting this entry.
40 mins: This game has been utterly relentless. I am tired just watching, possibly as I’ve not had a day off in the last three weeks.
This time Moreno sends the ball out to Chukwueze, who sends in a cross which is calmly claimed by Ter Stegen.
38 mins: Bacca’s looks lively with his first involvement, as he is slipped in. The Colombian takes the ball and drives into the box before smashes a shot across goal, which Ter Stegen tips over.
Barcelona counter on Villarreal, as the ball is fired out to Griezmann on the left, resulting in a three-on-one. The Frenchman sends it across the box to Vidal in space but his powerful shot is straight at the goalkeeper who repels it. The Chilean really should have done better.
36 mins: Sergi Roberto is back in central midfield after spending recent seasons at right-back. He must be pleased to be given an opportunity to in his favoured role and he will be desperate to take it. He has just shown what he can do with a quick turn.
I was speaking to a former team-mate of Roberto’s recently, who said he is a big fan of the Premier League. He has been linked to Manchester City recently.
Paco Alcacer has gone off injured, to be replaced by Bacca.
34 mins: An incredible pass by Cazorla dissects the defence to find Moreno but his cross is blocked and Barcelona clear. Just a nice reminder of Cazorla incredible ability.
30 mins: Paco Alcacer turns the defender with an outrageous dummy and turn to get away from the Barcelona man, the ball ends up with Moreno, who lays it off to Chukwueze, who cuts in but curls his shot high and wide.
Drinks break!
28 mins: Down the other end, Moreno gets to the byline and dinks a cross into the box but Pique is in the right place to head it away with Moreno ready to pounce behind him.
26 mins: Messi’s favourite option is to find Alba overlapping on the left. The defender gets round the back once more but his cross is turned behind.
That is ludicrous.
What a goal from Barcelona! 😱
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) July 5, 2020
Messi plucks the ball out of the air from the goal kick, sets off on a mazy run, and then Suarez bends one into the far corner 🔥
2-1 inside 20 minutes in a thriller! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/U2UYeTpk9o
24 mins: Messi is player at the tip of the diamond and is getting plenty of the ball, not to mention space. He will thrive in that part of the pitch, that’s for sure.
22 mins: This match is great stuff. I might expire before the end of it if it carries on at this pace.
GOAL! Villarreal 1-2 Barcelona (Suarez, 20)
CRASH! BANG! WALLOP! WHAT A GOAL! Messi drives towards the box, flicks it into the path of Suarez, who curls the ball into the goalkeeper’s top left-hand corner with a first-time finish. Incredible stuff.
Updated
19 mins: Messi takes a free-kick from 30 yards but it flicks off the wall and heads out for a corner. This game is pretty relentless.
17 mins: Barcelona get a corner, which picks out Pique who heads towards goal but Asenjo is up to it and saves. Villarreal then break again - this time it is Moreno who bursts into the box but his shot from a tight angle smashes into the side netting.
Pau Torres inadvertently catches Suarez in the face and is booked for his crime. Not a great night for the defender so far.
15 mins: Almost an instant reply from Barcelona, as Suarez breaks into the box and smashes a shot across goal but Asenjo blocks it with his legs.
GOAL! Villarreal 1-1 Barcelona (Moreno, 13)
An excellent break sees Cazorla collect the ball in the box and fire in a shot, and then Moreno is in the right place at the right time to smash home the rebound from 12 yards.
Updated
11 mins: Ter Stegen has sent a couple of sloppy passes out of play already. Wake up Marc.
9 mins: In the opening exchanges, Villarreal were looking very bright, zipping passes into each other at pace. Hopefully going behind will not dent their confidence too much.
7 mins: Alba is looking very dangerous down the left. He put in another cross but Villarreal send it away from their own goal on this occasion.
Charles Antaki emails in to say: “There can be few better stories in current football than that of Santi Cazorla; much loved at Arsenal, suffered an appalling fracture and horrible complications, fought back and is now in contention for an international place. All that, while giving off vibes of being a hugely likeable, unassuming decent human being. Sign him back up, Mikel!”
5 mins: It look originally like Griezmann had flicked it in but it turns out Pau Torres got the the most important touch.
GOAL! Villarreal 0-1 Barcelona (Pau Torres og, 3)
Some lovely work from Barcelona, results in Alba getting in down the left and pulling a cross back from the byline, forcing Pau Torres to turn the ball into his own net. Not a bad start.
Updated
2 mins: The stands here look like the inside a tub of Hundreds and Thousands. Very much an attack on the senses.
Kick-off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go.
I am anticipating another Barcelona draw here but I bet there will be goals.
I think this Messi lad might have an impact today, too.
7 - @FCBarcelona's Lionel Messi has been involved in a goal in each of his last seven @LaLigaEN games against Villarreal (six goals and two assists). Hope. pic.twitter.com/RN83ldMcLW
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) July 5, 2020
Getting ready ...
#️⃣1️⃣ always first out to the pitch @mterstegen1 pic.twitter.com/GthJqpFpFU
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 5, 2020
This is what happened earlier today in the Basque Country.
This was pretty ruddy good recently.
Sensational goal to double Villarreal's lead! 🙌
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) June 28, 2020
The cushioned touch for the assist from Cazorla 🤤
Moreno's emphatic volley to finish 😍 pic.twitter.com/gEpLdDVNCC
Speaking of excellent midfielders, I find a certain joy in seeing Cazorla putting in fine performances each week after so many tough times in his Arsenal days. There are few better than the maestro in his position.
I have heard good things about Barcelona’s Puig recently but he has a watching brief on the bench, which is upsetting.
Are Barcelona in a bit of a mess? Sid Lowe explains what is going on ...
Teams
Villarreal: Asenjo, Gaspar, Albiol, Pau, Gerard, Cazorla, Iborra, Chukwueze, Paco Alcacer, Moreno, Anguissa
Subs: Fernandez, Trigueros, Baccas, Morales, Quintilla, Peña, Bruno, Sofian, Moi Gomez, Ontiveros, Lozano, Fer Niño
Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Semedo, Pique, Lenglet, Alba, Busquets, Sergi Roberto, Vidal, Suarez, Griezmann, Messi
Subs: Cuenca, Collado, Neto, Morer, Rakitic, Brathwaite, Ansu Fati, Araujo, Peña, Puig, Arthur, Monchu
Preamble
Good evening!
Real Madrid moved seven points clear after defeating Athletic Bilbao earlier in the day thanks to a Sergio Ramos penalty. This means Barcelona have a mountain to climb if they are to topple their rivals, something that is looking increasingly unlikely.
In recent weeks Barcelona seem to have suffered an implosion, with bickering between players and coach. Some are even claiming Lionel Messi is pretty annoyed with the whole situation and might want to leave the Camp Nou in the not so distant future.
Few in Catalonia are particularly pleased with the work of Quique Setien and if he is to have a long-term future at the club, then he is going to need a strong end to the season, starting against Villarreal.
The Yellow Submarines sit fifth in the league, thanks in part to the wonderful work of Santi Cazorla and goals of Gerard Moreno, so they will not be lying down for the visit of their more illustrious arrivals.
Should be a fun night of football!
Kick-0ff: 9pm (BST)
Updated
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